


Flashbang:  Book 1

by LtIrrelevant



Series: Flashbang: A Galactic Love Story [1]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-24 20:55:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10749657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LtIrrelevant/pseuds/LtIrrelevant
Summary: A love story told in short flashes and long bursts of Klingon/Human hybrids Lieutenant B’Elanna Torres and Lieutenant Andrea Thomas.  Double the Klingon DNA, double the passion!Pairing:  Torres/OFCRating:  18+/MA/NC-17.  Contains adult language, violence, and sex between two women.Author’s note:  Belongs to Paramount, blah blah blah.  We all know the story of Voyager.  I’ve gotten rid of Lieutenant Paris and replaced him with a more suitable mate for Lieutenant Torres thanks to artistic licensing.  There are some elements that are directly from the show, but a lot is my imagination.  Though there is much confusion as to which year is correct, I’ve made B’Elanna’s birth year 2346 as per her official Star Trek bio.Author's Note:  EDITED 11/2/17 for formatting. Google Drive doesn't paste properly into AO3, so my apologies for the spacing.





	Flashbang:  Book 1

Summary:  A love story told in short flashes and long bursts of Klingon/Human hybrids Lieutenant B’Elanna Torres and Lieutenant Andrea Thomas.  Double the Klingon DNA, double the passion!

 

Pairing:  Torres/OFC

 

Rating: 18+/MA/NC-17.  Contains adult language, violence, and sex between two women.  

 

Author’s note:  Belongs to Paramount, blah blah blah.  We all know the story of _Voyager_.  I’ve gotten rid of Lieutenant Paris and replaced him with a more suitable mate for Lieutenant Torres thanks to artistic licensing.  There are some elements that are directly from the show, but a lot is my imagination.  Though there is much confusion as to which year is correct, I’ve made B’Elanna’s birth year 2346 as per her official Star Trek bio.

 

Soundtrack listing of music that inspired this disaster is at the end.

____________

 

Official Starfleet Records

 

_Thomas, Andrea M._

 

Starfleet ID:  TH86212

Rank:  Lieutenant

Current status:  Missing In Action 2371 (USS _Voyager_ , CO Capt Kathryn Janeway)

Born:  17 August 2344

Birthplace:  Earth (Portland, Oregon, USA)

Species:  Klingon/Human hybrid

Height: 5’11” (180cm)

Weight:  150lbs (68kg)

Hair:  Blonde

Eyes:  Green

 

Mother:  Capt Sue A.Thomas (Active - CO USS _Hawking_ )

Father:   K’Har (Commander - Klingon Defense Force)

Siblings:  Lt Alexander J. Thomas (deceased - 2360)

 

____________________

 

**Book 1:  75,000 Light Years**

 

Part I:  Nice to Know You

First Impressions  
Wild Child  
Observation Deck  
An Inadequate Greeting  
Chief Engineer Lieutenant Torres  
Staff Meeting  
Planning a Shindig  
Party on the Holodeck  
Broken Control Board  
Missed Breakfasts and Invitations  
Girl Talk  
Mixed Doubles Billiards  
Pizza Party  
The Delta Flyer  
The Sleeveless T-Shirt Incident  
Not Many Suitable Mates  
The Friendzone  
Sleepless in Space  
Janey and Tonya  
Maiden Voyage  
Portland  
  
Part II:  Stoking the Fire

Two in One  
Not Going Anywhere  
Big Spoon, Little Spoon  
The Morning After I  
The Escape Pod  
The Games B’Elanna Plays  
Nocturnal Emissions  
Random Slumber Party  
Big Bad Tattooed Klingon  
The Morning After II  
Nice Shot, Lieutenant Torres  
Harry and the Hangover  
Twin Terror  
Two Days  
Halt Turbolift  
I’ll Warm You Up  
Nervous as Hell  
Klingons are Not Adorable  
Chakotay’s Counsel  
Informal Formalities  
The Captain’s Ball  
Pants on the Ground  
The Morning After III  
  
Part III:  Klingon Courtship

Janeway’s Attack Dogs  
Jeffries Tube 39-Bravo  
Rose on the Gray  
Champion Decathlete  
Public Knowledge  
Deck 9, Section 12  
Don’t Ever Let Go  
Bar Room Brawl  
Unacceptable Behavior  
Dishonor and Broken Bones  
Late for Duty  
Didn’t See it Coming  
The Captain in Her Corner  
A Familiar Smell  
Bad 21st Century Movie Plot  
Welcome Home  
Back to the Grind  
Application For Shared Quarters  
Music Only They Could Hear  
Raw Klingon Passion  
Losing the Delta Flyer

 

**Part I:  Nice to Know You**

 

[I.  First Impressions]

 

Lieutenant Andrea ‘Dreya’ Thomas, Helmsman of the Federation starship _Voyager_ , crumpled into a human-shaped ball into her bed, exhausted after having been on duty for the better part of forty hours. To say everything had gone terribly awry on those forty hours would be insufficient and erroneous, because it could only be classified as irrevocably fucked. The _Voyager_ crew had gotten mixed up with a ‘Caretaker’ and been stranded seventy-five years from Earth along with the _Val Jean_ , the rebel Maquis ship they had chased in the Badlands. Nearly half of the _Voyager_ crew perished when the ship was violently thrown into the Delta Quadrant. Many crew were lost that fateful day, including the First Officer, the Chief Medical Officer, and the Chief Engineer, all of which were sore losses to those that remained.

 

Captain Janeway faced a grueling deliberation she wouldn’t wish on an enemy: destroy the Caretaker’s Array, the only viable way home, to aid a race of aliens, the Ocampa, from a predatory race, the Kazon. Cue the arrival of Neelix the Talaxian and his Ocampan lover Kes aboard the _Voyager_ for the seventy-five year journey home. Captain Janeway and Chakotay, the CO of the _Val Jean_ , devised a plan to neutralize the Kazon threat and preserve both ships. The crew of the Maquis ship would integrate with _Voyager_ as one crew and the _Val Jean_ would be sacrificed to escape the Kazon.

 

Chakotay, a former Starfleet officer, was an obvious choice to succeed Lieutenant Commander Cavit as First Officer with the provisional rank of Commander.  Tuvok, a Vulcan who worked undercover aboard the _Val Jean_ , was welcomed back as Lieutenant Commander and Chief of Security. The Chief Medical Officer was replaced by an Emergency Medical Hologram, The Doctor, and Kes, who served as his assistant medical technician.

 

Within the transplanted _Val Jean_ crew was a headstrong Klingon hybrid, B’Elanna Torres, an engineer. Flippant and bold, Torres was known for pushing her engines to the limits.  Dreya observed with amused interest as B’Elanna paced the Maquis bridge from console to console, unapologetically cursing in Klingon. Being half Klingon herself, Dreya knew exactly what Torres had spat out. The Helmsman had a full Klingon father and an older brother who conveyed the nuances of the Klingon language.

 

As she attempted to sleep, Dreya’s thoughts were running wild: her parents, her friends, and the life that she wouldn’t be returning to. Was she despondent? _Absolutely_ . Unless the _Voyager_ arrived at the Alpha Quadrant ahead of schedule, it was unlikely Dreya would see home before she expired. She forced the anxious knot of contemplation from her mind. After all, there was plenty of time for loathing and regret tomorrow.

 

[II.  Wild Child]

 

B’Elanna Torres paced around her recently assigned quarters like a caged targ. She had endured plenty of bullshit in her relatively short twenty-five years, but this was some next level absurdity she found herself mixed in. That bitch Janeway had stranded them all far from what they knew and people had paid the price with their lives.  Then Chakotay had ordered them all to play nice and be happy little Starfleet officers and crewmen, seemingly forgetting that _Voyager_ was originally sent to contain them and hand them over to Starfleet.  She had no qualms in loudly voicing her opinions on the matter and Chakotay had barked at her to drop it, suck it up, and deal with it like everyone else on board.  

 

B’Elanna could see through the cloud of anger and see reason occasionally, though.  Rationally, this Caretaker _petaQ_ was honestly who she should be pissed at, not the diminutive redhead in charge.  That bastard had abducted them and did Kahless only knows what to them before returning them to their ships.  Well, initially everyone but her and one officer from _Voyager._ When she woke up in some sort of medical facility, panicked and ready to fight her way out of wherever the hell she was, Ensign Harry Kim boredly told her that there was no way out.  ‘Starfleet’, as she had dubbed him, was younger than her and very green;  The poor kid’s first mission as an officer ended up a tragedy for the books.  He got a bit annoyed with the testy woman after a while and snapped at her, mockingly calling her ‘Maquis’ after having enough of her temper tantrum.  B’Elanna cut Harry some slack after that, keeping her outbursts to a minimum until they were retrieved by _Voyager_.

 

After B’Elanna paced off her aggression and worked through her thoughts, she permitted herself to flop down on her couch.  Tomorrow would be another day.  She would eat in the mess hall, introduce herself to a few people around the ship.  Perhaps she would be able to check things out in Engineering and see if she could get a work assignment down there;  It was going to be a long seventy five years and she would need to keep herself busy.

 

[III.  Observation Deck]

 

Dreya was reading a PADD as she walked into the mess hall for dinner, lost in a stupor of navigational readings.  She looked up to find the whirlwind known as B’Elanna in line ahead of her, just as feisty and captivating in real life as she was on the viewscreen.  The Maquis clothing she was still wearing seemed to add a wildness to her, despite the woman being rather smaller in actuality than anticipated.  Dreya stood back and observed her for another minute as B’Elanna stared off blankly, her arms defiantly folded across her chest.  Dreya watched her huff and shake her head a moment later, annoyed at something.  She followed behind B'Elanna silently for a few more moments through the food line until Ensign Harry Kim showed up out of nowhere and nudged Dreya in the side to get her attention.  

 

“Kim to Thomas.  Come in?”  he deadpanned, earning him an eyeroll from the Helmsman.

 

“Seriously, Harry?” Dreya folded her arms across her chest just like B’Elanna had a minute ago.  Luckily, Harry had not noticed her observing B’Elanna like some sort of volatile lab specimen.  “You're such an _Ensign_ .”  Harry and Dreya had met on Deep Space Nine while waiting to board _Voyager_ for departure to the Badlands.  She had rescued Harry from being ripped off by the infamous Quark, DS9’s resident annoying Ferengi.  Dreya had quickly become fond of the recent Academy graduate, despite his innocence and annoying optimism.

 

“Come on, Klingon, let’s get some food.  You seem a bit hangry,” he offered, punching her lightly on the shoulder.  With an aggrieved sigh and a jab back to Harry's shoulder from Dreya, they moved on through the food line.   After they had gotten their food, Dreya and Harry found a table and sat to eat, where Dreya occasionally looked up to observe B’Elanna sitting alone and staring out of the mess hall window.

 

[IV.  An Inadequate Greeting]

 

Dreya sleepily walked into the mess hall for breakfast before she needed to report to the bridge for Alpha shift, hoping for something edible to eat and decent coffee to wash it down with.  She was surprised to once again see B'Elanna at the back of the food line, and she suddenly was feeling anxious and _shy_.  The petite Maquis woman had a commanding and caustic air about her that had affected the normally confident and collected Helmsman.

 

“Oh, why the hell not.”  She moved towards B’Elanna to introduce herself.  Klingons did NOT get shy.

 

“Hi,” Dreya simply offered, immediately feeling her greeting was inadequate.  B’Elanna turned to face her, looking surprised that someone from _Voyager_ ’s crew would even talk to any of the refugee Maquis.  Dreya recognized that the Klingon in B’Elanna was on alert and rapidly sizing her up, instinctively assessing the intrusion.  Dreya stood quiet and still while Torres evaluated her, like a dog sniffing another in greeting.  After a few seconds she finally

seemed more at ease with Dreya’s presence, especially once she gazed up and noticed her diluted forehead ridges, her expression changing from surprise to curiosity.  Dreya anticipated the questions that B’Elanna’s assessing eyes were silently asking.  “I’m Lieutenant Andrea Thomas.  I fly this fantastic piece of ship that we’re standing in.  And yes, I'm half Klingon,” she added with a smirk, holding out a hand to shake B’Elanna’s.  B’Elanna cocked an eyebrow in restrained amusement at Dreya’s self styled job description but then smiled and shook the offered hand.  

 

“B’Elanna Torres, half Klingon Chief Engineer of the former _Val Jean_.  I’m the person usually making these pieces of ship go so that you can fly them.”  She formed a cautious smirk of her own, earning a snort of laughter and a teasing mutter about engineers from Dreya as they made their way up to the food line.  After they received their trays from Neelix (something orange and otherwise indescribable), B’Elanna hesitated as they left the line.  “Would you like to join me for breakfast, Lieutenant Thomas?” she asked, looking around the mostly empty mess hall with what might have been a bit of apprehension.

 

“I’d love to, but only if you call me Dreya.”  B’Elanna gave Dreya a bigger smile, which the blonde returned, following B’Elanna to the same table she saw her sitting at yesterday.

 

[V.  Chief Engineer Lieutenant Torres]

 

Three days later in the mess hall, Dreya saw B’Elanna waving her over to the same table they had sat at the other day;  Dreya received her lunch from Neelix and joined the other hybrid.  Dreya almost didn’t recognize her, because B’Elanna was now wearing a mustard yellow Starfleet uniform, with the rank pips of a provisional Lieutenant.  

 

“Good afternoon, er, _Lieutenant_ Torres,” Dreya teased, hungrily tucking into her leola root casserole.  B’Elanna waved off her playful jibe and tugged at her collar almost self-consciously before aggressively spearing a piece of her lunch onto her fork.

 

“Captain Janeway was crazy enough to not only give me a field commission as a Lieutenant, but also _Chief Engineer_ over Joe Carey!  Can you believe this shit?”  Torres was clearly overwhelmed at how her first few days on _Voyager_ were turning out.  “I was Chief on the _Val Jean_ , sure, but that core’s nothing like _Voyager_ ’s.  It’s going to be a bit of a steep learning curve.”  Dreya could tell B’Elanna was doubting herself and her ability to hold the title of Chief.  She brought her hand forward and gave B’Elanna’s arm a pat.

 

“The Captain wouldn’t give you anything she knew you couldn’t handle, _Chief_.”  Dreya gave the other hybrid an assuring smile.  She knew that the Captain wanted Carey as chief, but Dreya also knew that Chakotay had put up a good argument on Torres’ behalf.

 

“We’ll see if you’re still saying that when I ‘accidently’ drop you out of warp sometime, flygirl,” B’Elanna joked, causing Dreya to laugh and playfully brandish her fork at her.

 

[VI.  Staff Meeting]

 

Dreya sat in her usual chair at the senior staff meeting, right across from where the new Chief sat.  B’Elanna looked uncomfortable with all the Starfleet formality but kept her attention focused, rapidly learning and processing what she was picking up as others spoke during the meeting.  Dreya had already lost interest in Tuvok’s security ramblings and Neelix’s proposed mess hall menu for the week and hoped B’Elanna had a somewhat interesting report to give.  When the Captain defered to B’Elanna and the Chief gave her report on Engineering’s status, Dreya had to admit that she found the engineer rather intelligent and respectable.  Lieutenant Torres was impressively knowledgeable about _Voyager_ ’s warp core already and was passionately animated as she talked about ‘her’ warp core.  For every question or problem Janeway posed, her Chief had an answer or solution for it.  It was hard to believe that this brilliant woman was so knowledgable yet so young.

 

[VII.  Planning a Shindig]

 

Dreya and Harry were finishing the last dregs of their coffee before they reported to the bridge for duty.  Harry was still half asleep, but the Klingon seemed excitable.  An idea had been brewing in Dreya’s head, and she knew Harry would want be involved.

 

“So, you know the new Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Torres?” she asked.  Harry stifled a yawn and nodded.

 

“Yeah.  We met, for lack of a better word, in the Caretaker’s medical lab if you remember.  I heard she's _already_ shaking things up in engineering.  Maquis is apparently demanding.”  Dreya's eyebrows rose to her ridges and she grinned in amusement.

 

“I was thinking that we should throw our new Chief a celebration.  It might help her and the engineering crew get on a little better.  Want to help me plan this shindig?”  Harry considered her request for a moment before a wide smile crept on his face.  Dreya figured the young man wouldn't be able to resist a reason to throw a little party.

 

“A party?  On the holodeck?”  Harry was now more awake, buzzing with excitement.  Dreya nodded and leaned forward in anticipation of his answer.  He let her wait for a few beats before he continued.  “Oh yeah!  You bet your ass I'm in on this, Lieutenant!”  Dreya stood with a grin just as wide as Harry’s.

 

“Come on Ensign, duty calls.  We’ll plan this out later,” she remarked, heading towards the doors of the mess hall with Harry close behind her.

 

[VIII.  Party on the Holodeck]

 

B’Elanna showed up on holodeck two at approximately 1900 hours for what she had been told was a few friendly games of Velocity when Dreya invited her three days ago.  As B’Elanna entered the holodeck, she was greeted instead by a grinning Dreya and a large group of people behind her yelling ‘surprise!’.  Most of Engineering was there and they were clapping, cheering, patting her on the back, and congratulating her on becoming Chief Engineer;  B'Elanna’s forehead ridges and cheeks had turned crimson with embarrassment, visible even through her dark complexion.  Someone had even shoved a large mug of Klingon ale in her hand, and the young Chief was surprised when she saw it was the Captain who had done so.  There was a large banner hanging that read ‘Congratulations Chief Torres’, and Dreya had taken her arm and lead B’Elanna over to her seat underneath the banner.  B’Elanna was overwhelmed, but sincerely thanked Dreya for doing this, quietly confiding that she'd never had a party thrown for her.  Dreya clapped B’Elanna on the back and gave her a crooked smile as Neelix, Chakotay, and Harry walked up to them to chat.

 

[IX.  Broken Control Board]

 

Dreya walked into engineering, looking for B’Elanna;  It was nearly dinner time, and the computer had placed the Chief here.  The beta shift engineering staff were diligently working at their stations yet Dreya didn't immediately see B’Elanna.  She then heard a clang and a crash coming from the far side of the room.

 

“Dammit!   _Chingada mierda_!”  The cursing was in a familiar voice, ending Dreya’s search for the Chief.  A few heads turned towards its origin, but they quickly returned to their work, lest the harsh language become directed toward them by their aggravated leader.  Dreya headed towards the profanity and found B’Elanna sitting on the floor, ripping apart a control board.

 

“ _Ghuy’cha’!_ ” Dreya offered, smirking as B’Elanna snapped her head up to look for the source of the Klingon invective.  The Chief blinked a few times in surprise when she saw Dreya, but smirked back at her a few seconds later.  Dreya then kneeled near her, glancing at the problematic control board.  “What’s up?  Can't be good if you're resorting to cursing in Spanish now.”

 

“This particular control board is being-- _difficult_.”  Dreya let out a snorted laugh and B’Elanna dropped the spanner in her hand to the ground with a frustrated grunt.  

 

“Yeah, I can see that.  So, I came here to see if you wanted to join me and Harry for dinner.”  B’Elanna looked at the mess of circuitry and then back to Dreya, a conflicted look on her face.  “Let's get out of here, alpha shift is over anyway and that control panel will still be a pain in the ass tomorrow,” Dreya bantered.  The Chief arched an eyebrow and Dreya stood, holding out a hand to help B’Elanna up.

 

“You're a bad influence, you know that?” B’Elanna asked, taking Dreya's offered hand and standing up.  

 

“Yes ma’am.  Now come on, we're missing Neelix’s famous stew.”  B’Elanna groaned and followed the blonde out of engineering.

 

[X.  Missed Breakfasts and Invitations]

 

The doors to the turbolift Dreya was in hissed open on deck five and admitted B’Elanna.  The Chief smiled when she saw Dreya;  They were both headed to their daily senior staff meeting.

 

“Good morning, Chief,” Dreya greeted her, leaning back against the wall of the turbolift.  The Helmsman clutched a steaming cup of coffee;  The effort of navigating the breakfast rush in the mess hall had been worth it.

 

“Good morning, Lieutenant.”  B’Elanna tried to hide a yawn as she wistfully eyed the other's coffee.  “I guess I got up too late to meet you for breakfast.”  Dreya smirked and shrugged as she swept an errant strand of hair off of her forehead ridges.

 

“No worries.  I'll be there tomorrow for breakfast if you're truly that desperate for my company,” Dreya quipped, earning an eyeroll from the other hybrid.  “You could even come by my quarters later to hang out if you can't wait until then.”

 

“I'd like that,” B’Elanna quickly replied, surprising both of them.  She had felt this friendly magnetism towards the other woman that had not come easily to her with a lot of other people.  But, she figured that when your life has been flipped upside down and you're lost in the Delta Quadrant, having a half Klingon friend wouldn't be the worst possible thing to happen.

 

[XI.  Girl Talk]

 

B’Elanna was glad she took up Dreya’s offer to stop by her quarters that night.  She found the tall blonde to be easy going and easy to talk to;  They talked for hours and B’Elanna found herself opening up to the other hybrid in a way she never thought she could.  B'Elanna told her about her fractured family, her lonely childhood, her truncated stent as a Starfleet cadet, and her struggles as a hybrid:  neither human enough nor Klingon enough.  Dreya appreciated that it was hard for B’Elanna to talk about her painful past, and was just as open with B’Elanna.  Dreya told her what it was like for her:  being a Starfleet brat (manners and formalities), the death of her beloved older brother Alex (a Starfleet Lieutenant, murdered on Deep Space Nine), the expectations that were placed on her by her Starfleet Captain mother after Alex’s death (you'll attend the Starfleet Academy and be the top of your class, Andrea!), and the self-imposed loneliness that her pursuit of perfection at Starfleet brought (no time to make friends or date, Lieutenant Thomas!).  When B’Elanna left late that evening, she thanked Dreya for reminding her what it felt like to have a friend to talk to and Dreya likewise thanked her.

 

[XII.  Mixed Doubles Billiards]

 

Dreya, B’Elanna, and Harry stood around the pool table in the holobar.  Harry had excitedly told the hybrids about this holoprogram he’d found, and they had agreed to join him there for some pool.  There were quite a few holopatrons roaming around, making for a pleasant din of noise.  

 

“I'm telling you, Maquis, just wait until my doubles partner shows up.”  Harry had a smirk plastered on his face as he leaned against the pool table.  

 

“Give it up, Starfleet.  Dreya and I are guaranteed to win.”  B'Elanna clapped the taller hybrid on the shoulder and Dreya rolled her eyes.

 

“Who is your partner anyway, Harry?” Dreya asked.  Harry then waved towards the holodeck door that opened.

 

“There she is now!”  Harry beamed as Captain Janeway herself entered the bar and spotted them.  

 

“For fuck’s sake!”  B’Elanna cursed, looking at Harry.  “The _Captain_ is your partner?”  Dreya groaned and Harry couldn't have looked more smug as Janeway approached the table.

 

“Good evening Lieutenants.  Are you ready to lose to me and Ensign Kim?”  Dreya and B'Elanna looked at each other and smirked.

 

“Game on then, Captain!  Bring it on,”  Dreya rebutted, clapping B’Elanna on the back a few times.  B’Elanna gave Dreya a look of smug confidence, meant to intimidate their opponents.  There was a whole Klingon between the two of them, after all.  

 

The halflings’ bravado and posturing didn’t seem to extend to Starfleet captains though, because Janeway wasn’t buying it.  The Captain and Harry beat B’Elanna and Dreya in four straight games, leaving them standing silently in utter defeat by the end of the last game.

 

[XIII.  Pizza Party]

 

B’Elanna had rang the door chime to Dreya’s quarters at precisely 1800.  The Helmsman had insisted she show up hungry, because she had a special treat to share with her for dinner.  Dreya called her in and B’Elanna sniffed the air, smelling the almost familiar aroma of whatever Dreya was cooking in the replicator.  

 

“Hey Chief!  Just in time,”  Dreya greeted, grabbing plates and glasses from her cupboard.  “I think you're going to like dinner tonight.”  B’Elanna’s eyebrows shot up as she approached the galley and she saw what was for dinner.

 

“Is that--   _pizza_ ?”  B’Elanna had squawked out the question in an uncharacteristic tone, quite incredulous that Dreya had managed to program a pizza into _Voyager_ 's temperamental replicators.  Dreya looked smug as hell, with her arms crossed and a cocky smile on her face.

 

“Yep.  My brother used to babysit me when my parents were out.  He’d take me to this pizza parlor when I was real young and always got me my favorite kind, pepperoni.  I usually ended up covered in cheese and pizza sauce, but we had so much fun.  Some of the best memories I have with Alex,”  Dreya reminisced.  “It's probably been ten years since I've had pizza.  I couldn't bring myself to enjoy it too often after Alex was gone.”  B’Elanna was lost in her own thoughts of the past and let out a breath.  

 

“Damn.  I think the last time I had pizza was when I was probably around seven and I was staying at my uncle's house for the weekend.  My cousins were amazed at how much pizza my little Klingon body could eat.”  A smirk was pulling at the Chief’s lips as she got lost in her own memories for a moment.  Dreya chuckled at the thought of a tiny B’Elanna wolfing down a bunch of pizza.

 

“You wouldn't believe how much pizza Alex could eat.  That boy was a 6’4” beast with a Klingon appetite.  He ate two whole pizzas once.  My mother was disgusted but my father was pleased that Alex had the ‘hunger of a warrior’.”  Dreya then turned to pick up two pizzas from the counter behind her and carried them over to the dining table.  She put them down with a flourish and B’Elanna just stared at the pizza and licked her lips before they sat down.  “Eat up, warrior.”

 

“This looks so good!  Thanks Dreya, this is a treat, indeed,”  B’Elanna said, as she greedily tore a slice from the plate and jammed it in her mouth.  A moan of satisfaction escaped her lips as she chewed the delicacy.  “Oh damn, this is fantastic!”  Dreya chewed on her own slice of pizza and offered B’Elanna a grin.  

 

“Thank Harry for this.  He finally fixed the replicator coding string that held me up when I was programming the recipe.  Oh!  Speaking of recipes-- ”   Dreya got up and went to the replicator, returning with two ice cold ales.  “Gotta wash it down with this.”  B’Elanna happily accepted the mug and held it up to clink against Dreya's mug.  

 

“To Klingon appetites!”  B’Elanna toasted, taking a long drink of ale before shoving more pizza in her mouth.

 

[XIV.  The Delta Flyer]

 

B'Elanna and Dreya had undertaken the task, with Captain Janeway’s blessing, of designing and building a new shuttle for _Voyager_ that was to be named the Delta Flyer.  The idea had been born from B’Elanna and Dreya throwing around ideas one evening and the Lieutenants were buzzing with excitement as they presented their ideas to the Captain, the pilot and engineer within each of them in their prime element.  They had been spending almost all of their off hours together lately, working out schematics and warp core variables.  They usually sat next to each other, their shoulders pressed together as they poured over a PADD between them.  They often worked late into the evening, with Dreya sometimes falling asleep on B’Elanna’s couch.  Sometimes they both fell asleep next to each other on the couch, finding that when they woke in the morning, B’Elanna had leaned into the warmth of the taller Klingon while she slept.

 

[XV.  The Sleeveless T-Shirt Incident]

 

The Chief had a little ‘incident’ yesterday with Joe Carey.  B’Elanna had finally lost her temper and erupted when her second-in-command had ignored her specifications for core alignment for the third time, causing the ship to drop out of warp without warning while the Chief had been going over parts requisitions with the Captain.  B’Elanna had cornered the Lieutenant and was visibly restraining her own hands from hitting him.  The Chief was pulled back by Janeway herself and sharply advised by the Captain to immediately get her temper under control.  Snorting with rage, B’Elanna stomped off to her office and seethed for the rest of her shift.   When B'Elanna told Dreya about it later, the Helmsman insisted on introducing B’Elanna to her program of choice when she was angry and needed to blow off some steam.  B'Elanna quickly agreed to it, and walked into the holodeck to meet Dreya after dinner.  She looked around the setting of the holodeck in curiosity, not sure what to make of it.  There were weight machines, free weights, and cardio equipment everywhere.  In the middle of it all stood Dreya.  

 

B’Elanna paused as she got a closer look at her friend.  Dreya had her blonde shoulder length bob pulled back into a ponytail and was wearing an old Starfleet Academy t-shirt with the sleeves cut off, revealing that both of her impressively muscled upper arms and shoulders were unexpectedly covered in tattoos.  Some tattoos were Klingon in nature, some in tribute to her brother, some abstract, and some were words and phrases in a few languages.  B’Elanna was willing to bet that her back was covered with ink too and let her mind wander in thoughts of Dreya's bare back for just a few seconds.  B’Elanna snapped out of her inappropriate thoughts when Dreya greeted her and they began a grueling two hour workout that did indeed beat the fight out of her.

 

[XVI.  Not Many Suitable Mates]

 

Dreya brought another two glasses of Klingon ale over to her couch, where the other hybrid was perched.  Tonight they were celebrating, for they had finalized the build plans for the Delta Flyer.  After a few rounds of ale, talk turned from business to personal and B’Elanna seized the opportunity to ask Dreya a question that had been on her mind the past few weeks.

 

“Hey Dreya, do you--  do you have anyone waiting for you back home?  A boyfriend or something?”  The Helmsman sighed and answered her a beat later with a sad chuckle.

 

“Nah.  Not many suitable mates.”  B’Elanna blinked at the brevity of her answer to the loaded question.  The line of questioning was obviously making Dreya uncomfortable, but the ale allowed B’Elanna to call upon her Klingon courage and ask the other woman another question, with an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

 

“What’s your version of a suitably ideal man, then?” B’Elanna asked, exasperated at Dreya's vagueness.  Dreya drained the last of her ale before answering.  

 

“My ideal man isn't a man at all.”  Dreya flushed and prayed that the other hybrid would end this torturous conversation.  B’Elanna nearly choked at the unexpected answer but recovered quickly.  

 

“OH!   _Nice_.  I’ve rocked a few women’s worlds in between the sheets before,” she proudly confided, causing Dreya to blush deeper and cough into her empty mug.  B’Elanna had never really been too quiet about her own lax sexuality and was amused by watching Dreya squirm at the onslaught.  “I enjoyed the intimacy with them more than the weak human men that couldn't handle the Klingon in me.”  Dreya swallowed the lump in her throat down and could only nod awkwardly in understanding.

 

[XVII.  The Friendzone]

Dreya plopped down on the couch in Harry’s quarters with a sigh, fully engaged in crisis mode.  The Ensign trekked over from the kitchen and handed her a mug of ale before sitting next to her.

 

“So you told her you're into women?” Harry asked.  Dreya nodded and took a drink.  “And?  Did she freak out on you or something?”  

 

“No!  That's the problem.  She was rather _excited_ about it.  She told me that she had, and I quote, rocked a few women’s worlds before.”  Harry had been the only other person on board who knew of Dreya's sexuality;  Her sexuality was a sore spot in her half Klingon family and she had struggled with it since she was a young teenager.  Harry was the only person aboard _Voyager_ that she had talked to about her preferences openly if she was honest.  He was very liberal in his outlook on life and Dreya had come to trust the Ensign.

 

“Do you want her to rock _your_ world?”  Harry had posed his inquiry innocently, his eyebrows arched.  Dreya buried her face in her hands in embarrassment for a moment.

 

“No-- Yes!  Hell, I don't even know.  It doesn't matter anyway.  She'd probably never even consider me more than a friend,” Dreya gloomily replied.  Harry crossed his arms on his chest in defiance.

 

“Has it occurred to you that if she is attracted to women, that she might be attracted to a _half Klingon_ woman?  Maybe she told you about her preferences to drop a hint that she might be interested?”  Dreya just stared at him for a moment before shrugging.  

 

[XVIII.  Sleepless in Space]

 

B’Elanna turned over in bed for the hundredth time.  It was 0230 and she had been trying to fall asleep for hours, her restless mind keeping her awake.  She kept thinking about Dreya, her blonde friend occupying her mind since she admitted earlier this week that she was gay.  B’Elanna hadn't meant to pry Dreya about the subject, but the ale had loosened her inhibitions.  Visions of Dreya's tattooed arms, shoulders, and back filled her thoughts and refused to quiet down.  

 

B’Elanna wondered what kind of lover Dreya was.  Was she domineering and kinky?  Was she meek and quiet?  Did she also have the same penis-like erectile clitoris that Klingon women typically have?  She allowed herself to imagine what it might be like to sleep with Dreya and had to force herself to clamp down her libido after a few minutes because she was now very horny and throbbing with arousal.  B’Elanna groaned and turned over once again, cursing her Klingon hormones.  After another 30 minutes, she flopped onto her back, sighed in frustration, and slipped a hand down her underwear to give herself release so she could finally sleep.

 

[XIX.  Janey and Tonya]

 

B’Elanna and Dreya were working late into the evening in the shuttle bay;  They had been attaching hull plating over the frame of the Flyer for hours.  Both women had stripped off their uniform jackets and their bare arms and tanks were covered in dirt and grime, but they were satisfied by the hard work.  B’Elanna looked down to where Dreya was working on a lower panel.

 

“Hey Dreya, can I ask you about something?”  B’Elanna asked, as she resumed affixing an upper panel.  Dreya looked up at her and blinked, but then nodded her consent.  “Will you tell me about your last girlfriend?”  Dreya's face turned sour, like she had bitten a lemon.

 

“ _Janey_?  Why the hell would you want to know about her?”  Dreya stopped working and crossed her arms, clearly disturbed.  B’Elanna smirked and leaned against the Flyer.

 

“I want to get an idea of what your type of woman is, since men aren't your thing.  I'm dying to know what kind of lady had Lieutenant Dreya Thomas’ heart.”  Dreya looked at her with disbelief and shook her head, but decided to oblige B’Elanna.  If B’Elanna wasn't ashamed of her sexuality, why should she be?

 

“Jane was my first and only girlfriend.  We started dating when we were 15 and we were together for 5 years.  She was human, and neither of our families approved of our sexuality or our relationship, but I loved her with everything I had,”  Dreya began, looking off into the distance.  “We went to the Academy together.  I studied navigation and she was on the command track.  She broke up with me after our second year.  Apparently she wanted to have sex with guys instead.”   B’Elanna’s eyebrows shot up and Dreya blushed.  B’Elanna hadn't been expecting that.

 

“Wait, you've never slept with anyone else but her?”  B’Elanna blurted the question out without thinking and Dreya shook her head, looking down in shame.  

 

“I gave her my virginity on my 16th birthday.  Haven't been with anyone since her.  I didn't have time while at the Academy and once I did have time, no one was interested.  Well, there was one woman I tried to hook up with in Paris, but as soon as I was naked she freaked out.  Apparently the Klingon anatomy in my pants is too alien for human women.  I just kind of gave up on it all and got comfortable with being alone.”  Dreya finally met B’Elanna’s eyes with a shrug and B’Elanna nodded in understanding.  Some of B’Elanna’s partners, both men and women, hadn't been too receptive to her similar anatomy either.  “What about _your_ last girlfriend?”  B’Elanna sighed as the tables turned on her.

 

“Ah.  Tonya Parsons, the damn devil herself.  I met her when I was 19 and joined the Maquis.  She was the head of Security on the _Val Jean_ , 7 years older than me but immature and wild.  She was tall, tattooed, buff, and could handle the rough Klingon sex,”  B’Elanna answered, lost in old memories.  “We drank a lot, fucked a lot, and fought even more, but we were in love.  She went on a high risk mission shortly before our 2 year anniversary and never came back.  I found a ring when I was going through her possessions later.  From what I could gather, she was going to ask me to marry her when she got back.”  Dreya was quiet for a moment before she turned back to the hull panels;  She hadn't expected the story of B’Elanna’s romantic past with Tonya to end with a ring.

 

“What about all those other women whose worlds you allegedly rocked?” Dreya asked with a smirk a minute later.  B’Elanna shrugged nonchalantly and picked up a new hull panel.

 

“There were other women and a few lucky men before and after her, but she was the only one I was ever really in love with.”  Dreya looked sidelong at B’Elanna with a pensive look and wondered if she'd ever know what love felt like again.

 

[XX.  Maiden Voyage]

 

Today was the day that the Delta Flyer would fly.  B’Elanna and Dreya entered the shuttle bay in their grey and white flight suits, carrying sensor equipment, tools, and a few spare parts with them.  The Delta Flyer’s maiden voyage would be handled by no other than the Chief Engineer and Helmsman that conceived and birthed her, despite the Captain’s reluctance to allow both of them to take it out for its first flight.  Dreya buckled into the pilot’s chair, while B’Elanna buckled into the monitor console behind her.  The Helmsman had the engines engaged and the Flyer cleared for launch after a few last safety checks and without much more adieu, she rocketed the Flyer out of the shuttle bay and into the the darkness of space.  Dreya took it from impulse to warp 2.  Warp 3.  Warp 4.  Warp 5 - the maximum she would go (for now - until B’Elanna could find a way to get her up to at least warp 8).  The hybrids whooped with joy as the _Voyager_ quickly became a distant vision out of their windows.  They kept the Flyer out for another hour of testing before bringing her back to _Voyager_.  As soon as the Flyer was parked, the women leaped out of their seats and embraced each other in a tight hug, both of them buzzing with pride and accomplishment.  Neither of them let go of the other and it was in this rather intimate embrace that the hatch opened and Janeway and Chakotay found them, with B’Elanna’s face buried in Dreya’s chest.

 

[XXI.  Portland]

 

On the holodeck, the hybrids walked through Downtown Portland, Oregon, with Dreya pointing out a few things of interest in her hometown to B’Elanna.  The halflings had been having a blast in the city, with B'Elanna marveling at how Portland seemed to be stuck in the past, somewhere in the late 20th century.  She observed many Portlanders with baggy pants, plaid shirts, hair dyed in all colors, tattoos everywhere, and facial piercings.  It was like time had stood still there for almost four centuries.

 

They had been walking uptown from the Chinese Gardens when B’Elanna had gotten distracted on Stark Street.  Her hungry stomachs noticed the lines of mobile food dispensers up and down the entire block;  It was like a dream come true for a starving Klingon.  Like a fascinated child, B’Elanna linked her arm in Dreya’s and dragged her towards the wonderful smells with a giggle.

 

____________________

 

**Part II:  Stoking the Fire**

 

[I.  Two in One]  

 

No one in the transport room that day knew what to say when the transport finalized and the reality of what they were seeing sunk in.  Janeway and Dreya were beside themselves in astonishment as they stood there in front of Chakotay, Tuvok, Harry, and one full human B’Elanna who was holding a dying full Klingon B’Elanna in her arms and sobbing.

 

“Report!”  The Captain barked out the order, looking back and forth between Chakotay and Tuvok.  

 

“Captain, Lieutenant Torres has been genetically spliced after being kidnapped by Vidiians on the away mission,” Tuvok offered, trying to keep it relatively simple for the bewildered Captain to understand.  

 

“The Klingon was injured trying to help us escape,”  Chakotay added helpfully. Dreya had yet to be able to formulate any words or move yet;  She just mutely stood there, gawking at the two B’Elannas.

 

“Duly noted, Commanders.”  Janeway strided over to the B’Elannas and kneeled down next to them.  Klingon B’Elanna succumbed to her injuries and died in the human’s arms just then, after assuring the human B’Elanna that her death had been honorable.  The petite human’s anguished cries snapped Dreya out of her stupor and she was also by B’Elanna’s side in an instant, letting the inconsolable woman latch on her instead as Chakotay took the limp Klingon from her arms.  

 

“B’Elanna, can you tell us what happened?”  Dreya’s voice seemed to reach the engineer and B’Elanna hiccupped and sniffled a few times before she nodded and told Dreya and the Captain about the dehybridization.  Dreya held her friend closer and felt her shake badly as she talked.  

 

“I remember blacking out and then waking up, feeling sick and weak, in some lab where a Vidiian doctor told me that he had separated the Klingon DNA from my genes and that I was--   _human_ now,” she explained.  B’Elanna unconsciously rubbed her smooth forehead as she told them of how she had met up with her spliced Klingon half eventually, and that they had been finding a way to escape;  The Klingon and human had made quite a formidable duo up until the very end.

 

“Thank you, Lieutenant.  Report to sick bay and take a few days off,” The Captain said, helping Dreya get B’Elanna up and off towards The Doctor with a gentle squeeze on B’Elanna’s shoulder.        

[II.  Not Going Anywhere]

 

Dreya had all but carried the weakened human to sick bay from the transport room;  The small woman had felt even smaller and infinitely fragile in this incomplete form of B’Elanna Torres as she knew her.  As Dreya laid her down on the bio bed and stepped back to let The Doctor work, B’Elanna grasped at the sleeve of her jacket.

 

“Stay?”  She choked out the question in a croaked utter, her eyes wide in terror and anxiety, her body still trembling all over.  There was no way Dreya could leave her like this.

 

“I’m not going anywhere,” Dreya assured her.  A short time later, B’Elanna became upset and agitated that she could not remain human until The Doctor solemnly told her that she could not survive without DNA recombination.  Dreya wrapped her arms around B’Elanna to try to calm and soothe her, quietly thankful that she would not lose her special hybrid friend.  That evening, Dreya became a life-raft for the woman who was drowning in grief and agony.  She held B’Elanna’s hands tight for hours as the Chief Engineer writhed and shook in pain on the bio bed from the recombination therapy.  She held onto B’Elanna as she limped back to her quarters later that evening after being dismissed by The Doctor.

 

“Please--  Don’t leave,”  B’Elanna had pleaded, looking up at her with bloodshot eyes.  Dreya led her to the couch and sat next to her, promising she'd stay with her tonight.  B’Elanna laid her once again ridged head on Dreya’s lap as they settled on the couch and Dreya stroked B’Elanna’s hair as the smaller woman cried for hours in mourning for her Klingon half before they both eventually fell asleep.

 

[III.  Big Spoon, Little Spoon]

 

Dreya opened one eye as the door chime sounding woke her up.  It was 0147 hours according to the clock.

 

“Computer, who is outside of my quarters?”

 

“Lieutenant Torres is outside your quarters,” the computer reported dispassionately.  Dreya frowned in worry.

 

“Computer, let her in.”  Dreya sat up in bed and called out to her.  B'Elanna appeared in the bedroom doorway a moment later in her pajamas, clutching an old and worn plush targ named Toby.  “You OK?”  B’Elanna shook her head.

 

“Can't sleep tonight.  Don't want to be alone.”  B'Elanna stood there, barefoot and hugging Toby to her chest.  “I keep seeing my Klingon self dying in my arms.”  Dreya paused for just a moment before she pulled back the covers next to her.  She knew how traumatic the DNA splicing and recombination B’Elanna went through yesterday was and that she was still feeling fragile.

 

“Come on, you and Toby get in here,” Dreya offered, sliding over to make room.  B’Elanna padded over and got under the covers.

 

“Thank you,” B'Elanna whispered, as she lay on her back.  Dreya lay on her side facing B’Elanna, quietly observing her to make sure she would be able to fall asleep.  After a short while B’Elanna sighed restlessly.  “Dreya?”  Dreya grunted in reply.  “Can I ask you to do something for me and not think less of me?”  Dreya lifted her head and looked at B’Elanna.

 

“Of course.”  Dreya tried to soften the worried frown on her face.

 

“Will you hold me tonight?”  Dreya was caught off guard by the strange request, but she nodded after she had reasoned it was the least she could do for her friend.  B’Elanna sagged in relief and turned to the side to be spooned by Dreya.  Dreya awkwardly put her arm over B’Elanna’s waist and pulled her in closer.  The brunette almost immediately relaxed and sighed in contentment.  “You make me feel safe.”

 

“I'm right here,”  Dreya murmured.  It wasn't long before she heard B’Elanna’s breathing slow and felt her body relax as she fell asleep.  Dreya fell asleep shortly after, lulled into slumber by the long forgotten comforting feeling of a woman's body in her arms.

 

[IV.  The Morning After I]

 

B’Elanna had woken up when a hand brushed across her abdomen.  It took a second to remember where she was and it took another second to remember it was Dreya whose arm was now draped on her hip.  B’Elanna quietly enjoyed the feeling of the feminine body around hers;  It had been way too long since she had been lovingly held by Tonya.  Dreya then muttered in her sleep and drew closer around B’Elanna, her arm snaking up to B’Elanna’s chest and brushing the palm of her hand over a nipple.  A sudden flash of arousal hit B’Elanna and she felt Dreya's breasts press against her back and her pelvis shift against her ass.  B'Elanna closed her eyes and swallowed down a moan, afraid to move.  She lay absolutely still, collecting herself and her thoughts, until Dreya jerked awake a little later and gasped before carefully moving her hand off of B’Elanna’s breast that it had been cupping.  

 

“Oh, fuck.  Shit,” Dreya whispered to herself.  B’Elanna opened her eyes and slowly turned to face Dreya, who was blushing underneath an impressive display of bed head.  The Helmsman was a shade of mortified that B’Elanna had never seen before.  “Fuck, I'm really sorry I groped you in my sleep, B’Elanna.  If you need to kick my ass, I’ll understand.”  B’Elanna couldn't help herself and laughed.  

 

“That’s the risk you take when you ask to share a bed with a gay woman.  You should be more worried that I liked it.”  B’Elanna had a wicked smirk on her face and Dreya gaped at her for a second before her sense of confidence kicked in and she took the bait.

 

“You liked it, did you, Lieutenant?  Does this mean that we can have sleepovers more often?”  Dreya asked, a cocky smirk on her face.  “Toby can even stay, too.”  B’Elanna’s eyebrows shot up in challenge.  She wasn’t going to be out-flirted this early in the morning.

 

“Will there be more tit grabbing?  I mean, I’d be disappointed if there wasn’t.”  

 

[V.  The Escape Pod]

 

Their attempt to modify the tiny shuttle’s warp drive in the fashion of the Delta Flyer’s had epically failed as life support had inexplicably shut down and they had been forced to abandon ship when it started quickly deoxygenating.  A quick decision made by Dreya found the Chief and the Helmsman crammed into the solo functioning escape pod of the Sacagawea shuttle with B’Elanna facing Dreya and pressed on top of her in the space that was meant for only one person.  B’Elanna clenched her eyes shut in fear as the escape pod sped away from the Sacagawea with nauseating turbulence.  Dreya had her arms protectively wrapped around B’Elanna and the engineer could feel that Dreya was shaking too.

 

“It’s ok,” Dreya softly assured her.  “I got you.   _Voyager_ is coming for us.”  B'Elanna nodded into Dreya’s body, where she had laid her head on the taller woman’s shoulder.  

 

“I'm so cold, babe.”  B’Elanna had murmured it without thought, disoriented by her mind racing and her head spinning.  Then her brain caught up and her eyes snapped open.  “Shit.  I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call you that.  I used to call _her_ that.”  Dreya had no doubt who she had meant and smiled in understanding.

 

“No.  Don't apologize.  Janey used to call me that too.”  Had the situation been less dire, she would have laughed and joked about B’Elanna finding a way to flirt with her in the cold recesses of space and copping a feel in the escape pod.  However, they remained quiet to conserve oxygen and held on to each other to keep warm until they were beamed into _Voyager_ ’s transport dais a half hour later, shivering and faint from oxygen deprivation.  If The Doctor and Captain had anything to say about them being in such an intimate embrace when they materialized in front of them, they kept it to themselves.  

 

[VI.  The Games B’Elanna Plays]

 

Dreya and B’Elanna danced around the holodeck, grunting in exertion as they whipped their bat’leths here and there, metal clanging as blows were dodged and returned.  After B’Elanna had told Dreya in the beginning that she was troubled by her dual heritage, particularly her Klingon side, Dreya had offered to spar B’Elanna with the curved sword of Kahless to help her understand and embrace her warrior lineage.  As they sparred tonight, Dreya had also thought that it would be a nice way to pay homage to B’Elanna’s Klingon half that had died last week in sacrifice, and B’Elanna had quickly agreed.  They both donned their own traditional leather Klingon battle armor and beads of sweat poured down them as they circled about each other.  Each of them found the other a worthy opponent, and despite the cuts and bruises, Dreya and B’Elanna were craving the physical release.  

 

Dreya stepped one leg back to block a parry and then crumbled flat on the floor, having misjudged her step over a root in the ground.  B’Elanna took advantage of this and pounced on her, straddling her and firmly pinning her hips down.  She threw her bat’leth to the side and then leaned forward over Dreya and pinned her arms down, her face now intimately close to Dreya’s and getting closer.  Their eyes met and their hot breaths mixed in a storm of panting, wanton arousal, and the intoxicating smell of blood, leaving them unable to move as paralyzing desire surged through them.  Dreya licked her dry lips in anticipation of what she hoped would happen next, but it was for nought as B’Elanna suddenly rolled off of her, stood, and exited the holodeck without a word.  Dreya shortly realized that B’Elanna was playing a fucked up little game with her libido as she left Dreya lying there, wide eyed and staring at the ceiling.  

 

[VII.  Nocturnal Emissions]

 

Dreya woke up in the middle of the night with a start and sat straight up in bed.  She was soaked in sweat from the vivid erotic dream she had been having and her clitoris was fully and painfully erect.  She moaned as she remembered pieces of her dream:  dark hair, chocolate eyes, forehead ridges, and tanned skin;  Her stomach dropped when she realized she had been having a wet dream about _B’Elanna_.  It had felt so real as dream B’Elanna kissed her, explored her, and caressed her.  Dreya rubbed her face hard to try to coax some sense into her brain and got her ragged breathing under control.  Once she got her erection calmed, she laid back down and groaned as she could smell B’Elanna on her sheets and pillow from when she slept over the other night.  

 

[VIII.  Random Slumber Party]

 

Dreya had just finished recycling her dinner plate in her quarters and contemplated sitting down on her couch and writing a journal entry.  She had been distracted during her shift today, her mind occupied by the sexy dream of B’Elanna and B’Elanna’s tease in the sparring program.  The last time she had a girl on her mind so much was when she was 15 and chasing after Jane.

 

“Torres to Thomas.”  B’Elanna’s voice rang through her com badge, causing Dreya to nearly jump out of her skin.  Speak of the devil, and she hails you.    

 

“Thomas here.”  Dreya responded after only a brief hesitation.  B’Elanna wasn't the type of woman to be kept waiting too long.

 

“Get your pajamas and come spend the night.  Let’s have a slumber party.”  Dreya's eyebrows flew up in surprise.  The Chief was making it hard not to be indulgent in their dangerous flirtation.  

 

“Will this slumber party be conducted with or without molestation?”  The line was silent for a moment and Dreya smirked at being able to throw the commanding Chief off kilter.  She would be happy to play the Chief's game of flirtatious banter.

 

“Well, I can't guarantee Toby won't try anything, but I suppose I could keep my hands to myself,”  B’Elanna replied.

 

[IX.  Big Bad Tattooed Klingon]

 

Dreya and B'Elanna sat next to each other on the couch late into their slumber party, deep into conversation.  Dreya, wearing the sleeveless Starfleet Academy t-shirt and boxers, was motioning wildly as she spoke.  B’Elanna, in a tank top and pajama pants, looked more and more skeptical as she listened.

 

“You were _scared_ of me?”

“Hell yes.  You intimidated me.  I thought you were going to rip my head off when I introduced myself that day in the mess hall,”  Dreya replied with a chuckle, leaning back into the couch.  

 

“Is that really the first impression you had of me?”  B’Elanna was quite put off by the fact that she could intimidate the bigger and stronger hybrid.

 

“Actually, my first impression of you was from the bridge viewscreen, as you cursed in Klingon and ran around the _Val Jean_ ’s bridge.  I hadn't heard that much Klingon profanity since my brother was around,”  Dreya said, with a smirk.  “If I translated it correctly, you called one console a ‘fucking piece of shit’ and another one a ‘useless cockblock’.”  B’Elanna had sank back into the couch and howled with laughter.

 

“Yep, that's exactly what I said.  I can't believe I managed to intimidate _you_ , the big bad tattooed Klingon,”  B’Elanna mused, a smile still etched on her lips.  

 

“That's just my outer shell.  I'm still part human and sensitive.”  Dreya looked strained at having to admit this, but B’Elanna understood exactly what she meant.  “Sometimes I think I'm too human and that I feel too much.”  She had come a long way in controlling her Klingon anger over the years, but it was impossible to turn off her emotional human side.  B’Elanna sensed that Dreya had become somber and turned to look at her.

 

“Hey, you know I'd never hurt you, right?”  B'Elanna said with soft sincerity.  Dreya met her eyes and nodded;  B’Elanna’s hand slowly reached over and dared to take Dreya's hand in hers.  Dreya’s hand was bigger than hers, but surprisingly soft.  They both looked down at their joined hands, a small look of wonder on the blonde’s face.  “I like you a lot and I care about you. I hope you know that.”  Dreya's eyes snapped back up to B’Elanna’s, and her throat bobbed as she swallowed down a few emotions that had welled up.

 

“I like you a lot too.  You make me feel like I'm not alone.  Like I'm not some scary hybrid freak.”  Dreya gave B’Elanna’s hand a squeeze and they were silent for a moment before Dreya spoke up again, nodding her head to their hands.  “Is this-- ”

 

“It’s me telling you how I feel.  I can only hope you feel the same.”  Dreya's head was spinning at what B’Elanna confessed, and she willed her thumping heart to slow down.  “Neither of us needs to be alone, if you want.”  Dreya returned her smile and dared to hope B’Elanna truly meant it.

 

“When we go to bed, will you hold me this time?”  Dreya asked, running her thumb over B’Elanna’s knuckles.  She wanted to be close to B’Elanna, to feel the safety of the small engineer’s deceptively strong arms around her.

 

“Yes.  I'd be honored to cuddle the fuck out of you.”  Dreya rolled her eyes and snickered.  Only the Chief could find a way to make profanity endearing.  B’Elanna then let out a yawn and rubbed her tired eyes with her free hand.  “Well, it’s late, apparently.  Shall we get some sleep?”  With a yawn of her own, Dreya stood and helped B’Elanna up by the hand.  

 

“Aye, Chief.  Take me to bed and cuddle me senseless,”  Dreya quipped, earning a snort of laughter from B’Elanna.

 

“One quality cuddle just for you.”  B’Elanna led Dreya back to the bedroom by the hand she was still holding.   When they approached the bed, she pulled back the covers with a quirked brow and a majestic sweep of her arm.  “Hop in.”  

 

“Do you use that pickup line to get women into your bed very often?”  Dreya joked, as she climbed into bed, her back to B’Elanna.  After taking off her pajama pants, B’Elanna climbed in behind her and curled herself around Dreya.

 

“It’s worked on the only woman that matters.”  B’Elanna reached around to take Dreya's hand again, intertwining their fingers as she nuzzled Dreya’s exposed neck.  It didn't take long for them to drift off to a peaceful sleep, with smiles on their faces.

 

[X.  The Morning After II]

 

Dreya had woken up before B’Elanna’s alarm was set to go off.  Her hand was still entangled in B’Elanna’s and it made her smile.  She felt B’Elanna breathe against her neck and her spirits soared even higher to be this close to this incredible woman, to be waking up in her arms.  B’Elanna’s body was warm as it pressed flush against her back, lulling Dreya to close her eyes again.  She lay there for a few minutes longer before B’Elanna stirred in her sleep and Dreya felt _it_ against her ass.  There was no question that B'Elanna had morning wood, her swollen Klingon clit straining against her thin underwear and poking Dreya.  

 

She debated if she should wake B’Elanna up and tell her or if she should just let it be.  Dreya herself normally got a morning erection a couple times a week and understood what a Klingon woman's body goes through;  The first time she had sprung an erection, Dreya was 12 and had no idea what was going on.  Her parents had no answers for her either, but Alex had sat her down and told her about his similar issues when he hit puberty and she had felt less confused and ashamed.  

 

Dreya was a grown woman now, she could feel B’Elanna throbbing through the cloth between them and it was giving Dreya a boner of her own.  She decided to keep this intimate moment to herself and lay still until the alarm woke up B’Elanna 15 minutes later.  

 

[XI.  Nice Shot, Lieutenant Torres]

 

Dreya and B’Elanna were quite drunk from celebrating Harry’s birthday.  During the evening, the two had began to get rather tactile with each other as the blood wine coursed through them.  Hands had been held, arms wrapped around waists, arms slung around shoulders, hands rested on a knee.  At one point, Dreya had even been so bold (and wasted) as to smack B’Elanna’s ass and growl in arousal as she lined up a shot on the pool table, leaving their opponents, the birthday boy himself and Jenny DeLaney, wide eyed and speechless.  

 

“Lieutenant Thomas!”  B’Elanna playfully admonished her, trying to be serious and hold herself together as she hit the ball and it flew into a side pocket, winning the game for B’Elanna and Dreya.  Dreya pumped her arms in the air, picked up B’Elanna, and spun her around.  B’Elanna’s darker skin couldn’t hide the blush that colored her cheeks.  

 

“Nice shot, Lieutenant Torres.”  Dreya had an identical blush as she let her down from her arms and Harry groaned in misery at losing to the drunk Lieutenants once again.  One hour, two drinks, and 2 games later they had finally made it to B’Elanna’s quarters, despite a fit of drunken giggles in the turbolift that had delayed them.  B’Elanna lost her balance and stumbled forward, pushing Dreya against the door of her quarters as her arms reached out to brace something.  B’Elanna smiled widely at Dreya when the taller hybrid turned around between her arms, her eyes heavily lidded in intoxication.

 

“I want to kiss you so badly,” B’Elanna whispered, as her head cocked to the side.  Dreya slowly nodded and B’Elanna’s heart soared.  She pressed into Dreya and gently kissed her, their eyes fluttering closed in delight.  After a couple of minutes the kiss had deepened heavily and B’Elanna started to pull Dreya inside her quarters for more.  Dreya suddenly stiffened up, her eyes flew open, and she broke the kiss with a panicked look on her face.  B’Elanna reeled back in confusion, blinking at the sudden change of atmosphere.  “What's wrong?”

 

“I can't.  Not like this.  I'm sorry,”  Dreya answered, before turning and stumbling away towards her quarters.  A baffled B’Elanna could only stare at the blonde’s retreating form.

 

[XII.  Harry and the Hangover]

 

Harry cautiously approached Dreya when he saw her sitting in the mess hall the day after his birthday party.  She was alone, which was unusual;  She was usually found with the other Klingon.  The Ensign noticed that Dreya hadn’t eaten much of her breakfast and her gaze was fixed on the table.

 

“Dreya?” Harry called out.  Dreya looked up to him with a sad, weak smile.  “Can I sit here?”  The Lieutenant nodded.

 

“Yeah, please.  Sorry, I’m a bit spaced out and a lot hungover.  What’s up?”  Dreya picked up a now-cold cup of coffee with a grimace and set it back down;  She had obviously been stewing here in the mess hall for awhile.  Harry sat and regarded his friend with an eyebrow raised.

 

“OK, Dreya, I want you to hit me with the truth.  What the hell is going on with you?  You look miserable, and not with just a hangover.”  Harry spoke from over the rim of his own coffee cup as he observed the frazzled state of the Helmsman.  Dreya stared off into the distance for a moment before she sighed and answered.

 

“I’m a coward and a _petaQ,_ Harry.”  Harry’s frown let her know that he wasn’t going to just accept that abbreviated explanation.  Dreya let out another heavy sigh.

 

“B’Elanna kissed me last night,” she said, looking to gauge Harry’s reaction.  Harry hadn’t seemed particularly moved by the statement at all.

 

“OK?  You smacked her ass and growled at her last night, Dreya.  The fact that she kissed you wouldn’t be a surprise at all.  You two were all over each other.”  Dreya groaned and rubbed the ridges on her forehead in frustration.  “I don’t understand the problem.  Did you want her to kiss you?”

 

“Yes!  We’ve been flirting like crazy the past week and she had the balls to escalate it when I didn’t.  But we were both beyond wasted and I freaked out when she started to go further than kissing.  I could never take advantage of her and sleep with her, as drunk as we both were.  I ran away and left her there,” she explained morosely.  Harry let out a sigh and took a drink of coffee.

 

“Klingon honor trumps Klingon courage,” Harry scoffed, earning a glare from Dreya.  “Listen, Dreya, let's break this down.  B’Elanna _obviously_ wants you.  Do you want her?  Does she make you happy?”  Dreya nodded in response.  “Good.  Now that we’ve established that, the rest is simple.”  Dreya leaned back into her seat with a huff.

 

“Simple?”  Her face contorted in a frown.  She looked highly miffed at the thought of not being able to grasp something so ‘elementary’.

 

“Yes.  Simple.  Now that you're sober, you talk to her about it.  Explain why you had to bail.”  Dreya had crossed her arms in aggravation and Harry clapped her on the shoulder as he stood up to leave.  “What are you waiting for?  Don't waste another day.  Go get the girl.”  Harry left her sitting there to think.

 

[XIII.  Twin Terror]

 

B’Elanna had trudged down to the storage lockers in Cargo Bay 1 to hide for a while.  She couldn’t deal with anything right now and she hoped to find at least 20 undisturbed minutes to wallow in her angst.  She was hurt and confused by what had happened with Dreya and the blonde had been meticulously reclusive since.  If she was honest, she really just wanted to curl up in a corner of the Cargo Bay and cry in solitude.  The doors to the bay were already open as she approached them though, and she could hear two women talking on the other side.  She paused outside of the door to listen, wondering who had dared to foil her plan to work through her heartache next to the munitions reserves.

 

“Yes, Megan, I’m telling you!  Those two definitely have something going on after hours,” Jenny DeLaney said to her twin sister.  B’Elanna’s eyebrows shot up in interest and she continued to listen to the juicy gossip, indulging her human need to be nosy.

 

“Thomas and Torres?  Are you sure?”  At the mention of her and Dreya’s names, B’Elanna’s face fell to a scowl and her fists clenched.  

 

“They’re always together.  They’re both half Klingon.  They're both rumored to be gay.   _And_ there’s also the fact that Lieutenant Thomas smacked the Chief’s ass the other night at Harry’s birthday party.  They were drunk and flirting all night.”

 

“ _No way_ !  The helmbeast smacked her ass?” Megan chortled.  “Good, I was hoping the Chief would get laid soon.  She was a terror in engineering yesterday.”   _Helmbeast_?  B’Elanna had enough of this and decided to show them true Klingon terror;  She stepped into the bay and the DeLaney sisters now saw her.  Their mouths opened in sheer shock.

 

“Good afternoon, ladies.  I couldn’t help but notice something.”  She growled out the words as she slowly got closer to the twins, her previous sorrow temporarily shoved aside for a baser surge of anger.  “My name seemed to be mentioned and comments made about something that doesn’t pertain to you.”  Jenny and Megan looked absolutely terrified and remained mute as B’Elanna now stood right in their faces.  The half breed lowered her voice to a deadly snarl that raised the hairs on the twins forearms.  “Keep my name and Lieutenant Thomas’ name out of your fucking mouths.  It'd benefit the two of you greatly to not have to have this conversation again.”  Trusting that her point had been made clear, B’Elanna then turned and left back to engineering feeling worse than she had originally been.  The Chief was definitely going to need to run Dreya’s stress relief exercise holoprogram tonight.

 

[XIV.  Two Days]

 

B'Elanna tracked down Dreya at dinner, sitting alone and pushing the food around her plate.  It had been two days since B’Elanna had kissed Dreya;  Two days of Dreya hiding from her, two days of B’Elanna angrily raging at her crew, and two days of B’Elanna agonizing over why Dreya ran away.  B'Elanna finally couldn't take it anymore, she needed to talk to Dreya and regain her sanity.  A cursory look at Dreya indicated that she was feeling about the same as B’Elanna:  distraught, tired, and emotionally frayed.  

 

“May I join you, Lieutenant?”  B’Elanna had missed Dreya terribly and wanted badly to just embrace the woman, to hold her close against her and ease her turmoil.  Dreya looked up at her with sad eyes, consenting with a gesture to the seat across from her before diverting her eyes back down to the table.  

 

“We need to talk about what happened the other night, Dreya,” B’Elanna declared, after sitting in silence for a minute and observing the other woman.  Finally, Dreya’s eyes met hers.  “Look, I can’t or won’t apologize for kissing you.  Despite being wasted, I--  I really do have deep feelings for you and I refuse to minimize them any longer.  I hope you give me a chance to show you how serious I am about you.”  After another long, silent moment Dreya reached out a trembling hand and placed it over B’Elanna’s on the table.

 

“It was intense when you kissed me, B’Elanna.  But that's not why I ran, and I'm sorry I've let you go for days thinking otherwise.  I bailed because I would have been taking advantage of you, and I couldn't have done that.  We were both too drunk.” She looked back down to the table and heaved a sigh.  “I know we’ve been flirting and touchy-feely and that there is definitely something happening between us, something I assure you I want as bad as you do.  I would have loved nothing more than to have continued kissing you the other night and taken you to bed, but I respect you too much to have terrible drunk sex with you.  I just couldn't do that to you our first time.  I freaked out, and I'm sorry.”  B’Elanna lifted Dreya’s hand that had covered hers and brought it to her mouth to kiss the knuckles on the blonde’s hand, a few people nearby discreetly (and some not so discreetly) watching the exchange.  Dreya looked up from the table and met her eyes again.

 

“You are an amazingly honorable woman,” B’Elanna mused, giving Dreya a warm smile.  “Dreya, I need you to know that I 100% wish to pursue this with you.  If you need me to take it slow and gentle, I will, because I promised you I'd never hurt you.”

 

“Are you _sure_ you want to go this route?  Because I'm not going to give you less than everything I am.”  She had to know before she gave in to her own needs and desires.  She hadn't fucked up everything with B’Elanna after all and she wasn't going to ruin her second chance with uncertainty and doubt.

 

“Yes!  I want _all_ of you, rather badly.  I've been having these-- ”

 

“Dreams?” Dreya finished, and B’Elanna nodded slowly.  “Me too.  I wake up from them and I can still feel your touch from the dreams.  My bed still smells like you and it's been driving me insane.”  

 

“I wish I could kiss you right here in the middle of the mess hall like I do in my dreams.”  Dreya smiled crookedly at B’Elanna.

 

“As much as I would love for you to do that, I have a better place and time for plenty of that.”  B’Elanna’s eyebrows rose up in question, and Dreya’s smile widened.  “Shore leave starts for us in 2 days and I’d like to spend it starting over with you.  Come camping with me?”        

 

[XV.  Halt Turbolift]

 

B’Elanna stepped into the turbolift on deck 9 to head to Engineering.  She just needed to calibrate a few more things before she could start her shore leave with Dreya tomorrow.  She stared off into the void of the turbolift, mentally calculating containment field variables, when the doors opened on deck 5 and Dreya stepped on.  B’Elanna’s face lit up in a bright smile and Dreya smiled back at her as the turbolift began moving.

 

“Computer, halt turbolift and seal doors.  Resume after approximately 45 seconds.  Authorization Thomas tau zero nine nine.”  The computer chirped and immediately complied, causing the turbolift to grind to a halt.  B’Elanna blinked at her.  Something wild seemed to have been sparked in the Helmsman and B’Elanna wasn't sure if she should be scared or aroused.

 

“Wha-- ,” she began to ask the blonde, but the taller woman had suddenly pushed her back against the turbolift wall.   Dreya grabbed her hands, pinned them above her head, and kissed her well and thoroughly until the doors opened 45 seconds later, as requested.  

 

With a smug smile, Dreya exited the turbolift without another word, leaving B’Elanna leaning against the wall and panting as the turbolift continued to Engineering.

 

[XVI.  I’ll Warm You Up]

 

B’Elanna had sat back down next to Dreya after tending the fire at their campsite.  They had found a secluded spot of beach to camp on together for the 4 days of shore leave they had been given on this quiet M-class planet.  B’Elanna had been a bit hesitant about camping since the last time she went camping was as a child with her father and cousins.  That had been a disaster for the records, but she was a resourceful adult now and Dreya had camped many times in her life with her brother.  The two hybrids were enjoying being on land and found each other’s company perfect;  The sunset that they were watching was beautiful.  The night had brought a chill over the planet though, and B’Elanna shivered slightly in the cold air.  Dreya noticed this and slid closer to wrap an arm around B’Elanna and pull her in for body heat.  

 

“I’ll warm you up,” Dreya murmured into her hair.  B’Elanna looked into her eyes and smiled as the flames from the fire danced in Dreya’s eyes.  Dreya returned the smile, and a moment later seemed to have reached a decision in her mind about something unsaid.  She then brought her free hand to B’Elanna’s forehead and caressed the ridges there with her thumb.  “I’m looking forward to doing a lot of this with you in the future.”  Dreya leaned in and softly kissed the brunette.  

 

“Does this mean that we’re really going to do this?  I'm really your girlfriend now?”  Dreya’s only answer was to smile and kiss her again.

 

[XVII.  Nervous as Hell]

 

B’Elanna hadn't wanted their camping trip to end.  They had spent the last three glorious days exploring what they had tentatively started in front of the fire:  holding hands, being close to each other to warm up, watching sunsets, and kisses.  Lots of slow, burning, and hungry kisses.  B’Elanna had wanted to take her right in front of the fire that night and had made her desire clear but Dreya had insisted that they wait and hold off on being too intimate for just a short time.  

“I want you so bad, B’Elanna.  But, I want to wait, just a bit longer.  It's been a really long time since I've had sex and you're way more to me than just a casual fuck.  I want the first time we make love to be perfect.  I want to do this the right way, because you deserve it,” Dreya had managed to say, in between a few gentle kisses.  A fire had spread through B’Elanna’s soul every time Dreya kissed her that often left her grasping Dreya’s arms to hang on to.  She could barely contain the Klingon part of her libido that desperately wanted Dreya any easier than the other woman could control hers, but she agreed.  She had made a promise to go at Dreya’s pace, and her Klingon honor demanded she keep that promise.

 

[XVIII.  Klingons are Not Adorable]

 

They had waded in the shallow water of the ocean for a while to cool down their libidoes and had taken time to get to know each other better, asking each other mundane questions as they sat beside each other at the fire again.

 

“What’s your middle name?”  B’Elanna tried to think of the most banal question to ask as she leaned against the strong blonde.  

 

“Marie.  Andrea Marie,” she had absently answered, giving the other woman a crooked grin.  “Do you have one?”

 

“Yeah.  It's--  Lee.”  The answer, in a flat and dull tone, had surprised Dreya and she perked up in interest.

 

“Lee?  Wow, that’s so--  unexpectedly common and human.”

 

“I got it from my paternal grandfather.  His name was Leeland,” B’Elanna admitted, feeling rather defensive.

 

“I think it's adorable though!   _B’Elanna Lee_ \-- ”   She was cut off by B’Elanna slapping at her arm in indignation.

 

“Klingons are NOT adorable!”  Dreya snorted in laughter and they sat in silence for a few minutes.  “Are you sure you want this dysfunctional mutt?”  B’Elanna quietly asked.  Dreya lifted B’Elanna’s chin and looked into her eyes.

 

“My _girlfriend_ is the most perfect mutt I've ever seen,” she answered, earning a bright smile and a kiss from the brunette.

 

[XIX.  Chakotay’s Counsel]

 

The door chime to Chakotay’s quarters sounded and the Commander called out to admit his expected visitor, B’Elanna.  The Chief had sought him out earlier in the day, asking for a bit of his time later about a personal matter and he happily agreed.  It had been a while since the brash engineer had seeked his guidance like she used to on the _Val Jean_.

 

“Hey B’Elanna, come in!  I don't see much of you outside of work anymore,” he welcomed, ushering her into the living room.  

 

“Yeah, I've been rather occupied, actually.  I just-- I have to tell you something, Chakotay.”  Chakotay motioned her to the couch, and she sat next to him, slumping down with the weight of her thoughts.  He regarded her with a bit of worry, giving her his full attention.

 

“Absolutely.  What's going on with you?”  B’Elanna shifted a bit in her seat and let out a breath of air.

 

“I've become involved with someone.”  The tan man raised a tattooed eyebrow but remained quiet, so B’Elanna continued.  “Someone who I never thought I would deserve to have.  Someone who's showed me that I don't need to be sorry or ashamed of who I am.  She accepts me as I am, hybrid misfit and all.”

 

“She?”  B’Elanna nodded, the pleasant surprise in his voice making her feel a bit more at ease.  Not that she had really expected any sort of negative reaction from the XO, though.  After all, homophobia had went out of fashion hundreds of years ago.  “Do you want to tell me who the lucky lady is?”  His mouth formed a crooked grin that B’Elanna couldn't help but match.

 

“Lieutenant Thomas,” she softly answered.  Chakotay patted B'Elanna's hand and chuckled.

 

“That's great, B’Elanna!  I'm happy for you and Dreya.  To be honest, I was initially concerned that the two of you would clash in a burst of Klingon dramatics.”  B'Elanna shook her head and laughed.

 

“She makes me feel comfortable and calm.  She did from the first day I met her.  We've spent so much time together and have so much in common that it just feels so _natural_ to be with her,” B’Elanna explained.  “She’s really amazing, Chakotay.  I lucked out.”

 

“Can I confess something?”  B’Elanna looked a bit worried, but acquiesced with an inclination of her head.  “I knew you’d end up with her.  I knew when you took the Flyer out for its first flight and the Captain and I opened the hatch to find you in each other's arms.”  B’Elanna groaned at the memory;  The hybrids had been sufficiently embarrassed that day when they finally broke their embrace and realized the command duo were watching them.

 

“Do you think anyone else figured it out?”  Chakotay paused a few seconds before answering.

 

“I'm sure a few people did when they saw Lieutenant Thomas smack your ass at the pool table during Ensign Kim’s birthday party,” he answered, a smug look on his face.  The petite brunette flushed and buried her face in her hands, laughing despite the mortification.

 

[XX.  Informal Formalities]

 

Dreya and Harry had met up for a late lunch and had only been seated a few minutes when B’Elanna approached the table, looking complacently smug.  Dreya smiled up at her and Harry nodded in greeting.

 

“Lieutenant Thomas, would you do me the honor of attending tomorrow night’s Captain’s Ball with me?” she asked, in a mock of formality.  Harry’s eyebrows shot up towards his hairline and Dreya cocked her head to the side.  

 

“Lieutenant Torres, are you asking me out on a date?”  B’Elanna simply shrugged and nodded.  “Then yes.  I accept.”  A huge smile appeared on B’Elanna’s face and she bound away excitedly, most likely back to her engine room.  Dreya turned back to Harry, who now had a satisfied smirk on his face.  Dreya smiled slyly.  “What can I say.  I got the girl.”

 

[XXI.  The Captain’s Ball]

 

The stares and the whispers started when they entered the ball on each other's arm and flared up as soon as Dreya took B’Elanna closely in her arms to dance at the Captain’s Ball in holodeck 2.  Dreya wore her crispest Starfleet dress uniform while B'Elanna wore a stunning little black dress and the pair of hybrids were definitely the talk of the evening.  

 

“They're staring at us,” B’Elanna muttered as they danced to a slower tune.  She was already uncomfortable, not used to formal Starfleet ordeals and even less used to being the center of attention.

 

“Just ignore the _petaQs_.”  Dreya was remaining cool under fire, as always, which drew a huff of frustration from B’Elanna.  The women hadn’t yet widely made it known that they were together before tonight, but with every pair of eyes on them the secret was out now;  Dreya and B’Elanna had been worried about disclosing their relationship to their shipmates, but they hid it behind their Klingon masks that evening.  They swayed around the room to the music with proud confidence, brushing off the scrutiny they were under.  Even their steel-plated Captain stared openly at them, but then smiled knowingly at Chakotay as B’Elanna rested her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder.

 

“ _Ghuy’cha’!_  Even the Captain is gawking at us, babe.”  Dreya smiled at B’Elanna calling her by the term of affection.  It filled her heart to hear B’Elanna call her that and that it was meant for her this time.

 

“Fuck it.  Let's give them something to look at.”  Dreya leaned down and kissed B’Elanna in the middle of the dance floor.  There were a few gasps heard around the room as they kissed, but they tuned it out.  When the kiss broke, Dreya looked into B’Elanna’s eyes and saw the lust in them that she knew flashed in her own eyes.  She leaned in closer to the Chief to whisper in her ear.  “Tonight.  I'm ready, babe.”

 

[XXII.  Pants on the Ground]

 

B’Elanna led Dreya by the hand to her quarters after the Captain’s Ball had concluded.  As soon as the door closed behind them, B’Elanna pulled Dreya in for a searing kiss.  

 

“Please tell me you're sure, that you're ready for this,” B’Elanna begged as they broke the kiss, her eyes filled with desire.   Dreya tangled her hands in B’Elanna’s hair and leaned in to place her forehead ridges on B’Elanna’s.  There would be no turning back now for her if Dreya let her go further.  

 

“I'm sure, Lanna.  I'm ready.”  B’Elanna’s lips crashed into hers and the petite Klingon started leading them towards the bedroom as they kissed.  When they reached the bedroom, B’Elanna pressed Dreya hard against the doorway and kissed her more fervently as she made quick work of her dress uniform jacket and yanked it off, along with her tank top. Dreya slipped out of her dress shoes and kicked them aside while she reached around B’Elanna and unzipped the back of her dress; The smaller woman found the buckle to Dreya’s pants and they fell to the floor a beat later.  B’Elanna then shrank a few inches as she ditched the heels she was wearing, bringing her back to the level of Dreya's chin.

 

“So damn sexy,” B'Elanna murmured in approval, as she took in the sight of Dreya’s muscular body in just her black sports bra and black boxers.  Dreya had the well honed body of a warrior, sculpted and hard.  B’Elanna mused that she had been right about Dreya having more tattoos on her chest and back;  She reached out and ran a finger over the tattoo that went across Dreya's collarbone.  “Kahless, you’re fucking gorgeous.”  Dreya responded by slipping the sleeves to B’Elanna’s dress down her shoulders and letting it fall, where it landed next to her dress pants.  B’Elanna stood before her wearing a lacy red bra and panty set.

 

“Do you have any idea how beautiful _you_ are?” Dreya asked, running her fingers slowly down B’Elanna’s arms.  “Even more breathtaking than my dreams imagined.  I'm almost afraid to touch you because you're so perfect.”  The smaller woman shivered in pleasure and goosebumps formed on B’Elanna’s arms where she had been touched.  

 

“Touch me, please.  I'm a Klingon, I won't break.”  A soft growl, almost a purr, escaped B'Elanna's throat and reverberated down to Dreya's loins.   With a louder growl of her own, Dreya hooked her arms around B’Elanna’s ass and easily picked her up, bringing their bodies closer.  B’Elanna wrapped her legs around Dreya’s waist and their lips met again, without reserve, as Dreya carried B’Elanna to the bed with one arm.  The other arm had drifted up to unclasp B’Elanna’s bra, throwing it haphazardly to the floor after wrangling it off of her lover’s torso.  Dreya put her down gently on the bed and climbed on top of her, straddling B’Elanna’s thighs.

 

“You're a bit overdressed for the occasion, Lieutenant.”  Dreya exhaled in anticipation as the Chief sat up, ran her fingers under the hem of Dreya's sports bra, and pulled it up over her head.  With a gasp of pleasant surprise, B’Elanna was greeted with the sight of steel bars pierced through Dreya’s nipples.  “Hot damn!  That's quite a sexy little secret you've got hidden in your bra.”  Dreya smirked and pushed B’Elanna back down onto the bed.  B’Elanna licked her lips hungrily, thoroughly engrossed by Dreya's nipple bars.

 

“You'll get to play with those soon enough.”  Dreya was suddenly pressed down on top of B’Elanna, kissing her deeply as their breasts and pelvises melded.  The smaller Klingon’s hands teasingly roamed down Dreya's back until they slipped under the waistband of her boxers and cupped her firm ass.  As B’Elanna slid the boxers down and Dreya kicked them off the rest of the way, the scent of Dreya's arousal permeated the air.  Dreya’s mouth had found the soft skin of B’Elanna’s neck, kissing and suckling where the brunette’s pulse pounded.  B’Elanna grabbed Dreya's ass again and ground up against the other woman’s hot core;  She could feel Dreya's boner pressing into her and it made her even more turned on.  

 

“You're so hard, Dre,” B’Elanna whispered, highly aware that she was also hard as a rock and that her panties were drenched in arousal.  Dreya’s ministrations had now reached B’Elanna’s nipples, taking one already stiff nub in her mouth while her fingers played with the other one.  B’Elanna’s body arched up into Dreya’s, grinding her erection into her hip with urgent want and B’Elanna moaned in frustration at still having panties on, her erection tenting and straining the lace.  The other woman sensed her need, shifting so she could pull down at the garment.  B’Elanna’s clit sprung free and Dreya couldn't help but gaze greedily at B’Elanna’s body, now totally exposed and opened to her.

 

“I can't believe how lucky I am.  I've died and gone to StoVoKor.”  Dreya lazily tossed aside the last piece of cloth that came between them;  B’Elanna’s scent was intoxicating the blonde, and she began kissing a path down her abdomen to the source of the heady aroma.  Once she reached her prize, she teased the Chief’s clit with her tongue and B’Elanna bucked up hard, grabbing on to Dreya’s shoulders.  

 

“Dre, please-- ”  B’Elanna had began to plead, but her mouth clamped shut as Dreya parted her folds with her tongue and eagerly lapped at her.  Dreya grabbed B’Elanna’s hips to keep the brunette from flying off of the bed as she buried her face in B’Elanna’s pussy.  “Oh Kahless!  Babe-- ”  B’Elanna was rendered speechless again and dug her nails into tattooed muscles as Dreya continued to dine on her juices.  B’Elanna was on fire, a smoldering in her belly threatening to become a raging orgasm.

 

“Do you want to come for me?”  Dreya's question disoriented B’Elanna.  She wanted to tell Dreya to fuck her into a coma, to take all that she had to offer.  All that came out of her mouth though was a tortured squeak as Dreya sucked and nipped on her clit while her hand reached lower and two fingers entered the slick heat gently, carefully stretching B’Elanna out.  She felt the spongy hot spot of tissue inside of B’Elanna’s womb and worked it with her fingers while her tongue now flicked along the underside of B’Elanna’s erection.  Dreya could have never imagined her lover could feel and taste so amazing; It was nearly enough to make her come just from pleasuring B’Elanna.

 

“Not gonna last much longer.”  B’Elanna was panting and Dreya could feel her inner walls quiver as she glided her fingers in and out.  It would be a fast and dirty orgasm, reeking of an animalistic need to fuck and come, but this was just round one.  Dreya planned on ravishing her lover many more times their first night together.

 

“Come for me, love.”  With a gentle bite on the Chief's clit and fingers pushed in deep, Dreya did indeed make her lover climax with a roar.  B’Elanna laid there frozen, her legs clamped tight and trapping Dreya's arm.  

 

“Holy shit,”  B’Elanna said a minute later after she caught her breath and could finally move her legs.  Dreya smirked and slowly removed her fingers from B’Elanna, taking care to drink up the come from her folds with an eager tongue and making B’Elanna jerk with orgasm aftershocks.

 

“You're incredible, Lanna.”  Dreya slid up B’Elanna’s body and kissed her lovingly, letting the engineer taste herself.  Her body covered B’Elanna’s smaller frame and Dreya’s erection dug into the patch of dark hair on her lover’s mound.  B’Elanna could feel Dreya's need throbbing against her, she could feel Dreya's desire dampening her pubic hair, and she could smell how eager Dreya was.  Holding on to Dreya’s hips, B’Elanna flipped them over smoothly and straddled her.  

 

“Mine!”  B’Elanna declared, immediately going for Dreya's piercings that had so enthralled her earlier.  She flicked her tongue over one nipple, already rock hard, and Dreya bucked up with a growl.  “Oh!  You like that, huh?”  The steel bar clicked against her teeth as she teased it some more and B’Elanna decided that Dreya's piercings were her new favorite thing.  She raked her fingernails slowly down Dreya's side as she trailed back up her body and found her lips again.  As she kissed her, she routed a hand to Dreya's neglected nipple and gave it a tweak with her finger.  Dreya groaned and writhed beneath her.

 

“They're, uh, sensitive.”  B’Elanna gave her a devilish grin before shifting her position and taking a nipple in her mouth again.  Dreya's head craned back and her mouth was open in an ‘O’, her hands digging into the Chief's back.   B’Elanna gave her lover mercy after playing with her nipples for a minute and trailed kisses down Dreya’s abdomen, where she encountered a piercing through Dreya's belly button that she somehow hadn't noticed before.  

 

“Andrea Thomas, you continue to surprise me!”  B’Elanna said, licking around Dreya’s navel before dipping her tongue into it.  Dreya barely had time to gasp in surprise at the sensation before B’Elanna moved her mouth down to where Dreya wanted and needed it the most.  

 

“Kahless, Lanna, what you do to me,”  Dreya managed to mutter, as the Chief took her erection into a hungry mouth, sucking and licking contentedly.  B’Elanna was reveling in the taste of the delicious juices that were running down her chin as she now worked her tongue in and around Dreya's folds and took her clit in her fingers.  Dreya was thicker and longer than her, but this was no time for envy as Dreya bucked against her mouth while B’Elanna stroked her.

 

“You’re going to come.”  Dreya wasn't sure if it was an observation or a statement of fact.  It turned out to actually be an undeniable inevitability as B’Elanna then moved, her mouth now back to playing with Dreya’s right nipple and two fingertips sliding very slowly and gently into her tightness.  Dreya wanted to call out her lover’s name as she entered her, but her voice was temporarily broken.  She had grasped the engineer’s hair in one hand and the sheet on the bed with the other as B’Elanna’s fingers entered her all the way and found the spot inside her that made Dreya start shaking.

 

“Faster, baby, please!”  Dreya was barely able to rasp the words out as B’Elanna worked her inside and out.  She was breathing erratically, her eyes were closed tightly, and her pussy was nearly pulsating.  B’Elanna knew it wouldn't take much more to send her over the edge as she moved up a bit more to position her face above Dreya's.

 

“Dreya, look at me, baby.”  Dreya wrenched her eyes half open, the pupils of her green eyes blown wide and a perplexed look on her face.  B’Elanna smiled down at her.  “I want you to see who's making you come.”  B’Elanna’s thumb rubbed up and down the sensitive underside of Dreya's clit and the blonde’s eyes flew wide open.  “Tell me who's making love to you, sweetheart.”

 

“B’Elanna!  Lanna!”  Dreya came ferociously as B’Elanna stroked the fat head of her clit, pulling on the handful of B’Elanna’s hair that she had in a death grip.  Her shaking legs finally managed to relax and she wheezed out a few breaths as B’Elanna pulled out of her and licked her fingers clean.  When Dreya’s hand let go of her hair and dropped like a brick to her side, the Chief looked down at her lover with wonder;  She had never made anyone orgasm with such unchained intensity like she just had for Dreya.  

 

“Babe?  Are you ok?”  B’Elanna collapsed on the bed next to her, curling up to Dreya and wrapping an arm around her.  Dreya, still trembling, gave her a shell-shocked grin and nodded.

 

“I never knew it could be like that,”  Dreya whispered.

 

[XXIII.  The Morning After III]

 

Dreya's eyes opened as an alarm sounded early in the morning the day after the Captain's Ball.  She panicked for a moment when she realized she was naked and wasn't in her own bed;  A body shifted in her arms against her.  B’Elanna’s head poked out from underneath the covers and memories of last night flashed back.  The Ball.  The stares.  Seeing B’Elanna’s naked body for the first time.  B’Elanna’s body all over hers.  Tasting B’Elanna’s nectar.  Making love for hours and both of them coming harder than they ever had before.  

 

They had discovered that their clits were strong enough to penetrate the other when erect and the results had been intimate and mind blowing.  Dreya smiled and stretched a bit of the welcomed soreness out from having B’Elanna fuck her hard; She had shamelessly begged for B’Elanna to be inside her and had growled impatiently with need when her lover started pumping into her slowly at first.  When it was her turn to plunge her thick hard-on inside of B’Elanna’s walls, she nearly came right then as the Chief's ready core took her all in.  To say the least, she had most definitely had her world rocked last night.  Multiple times.

 

“Computer, turn off the damn alarm.”  B'Elanna growled and snaked an arm around Dreya, snuggling closer.  She then hummed in pleasure, now mollified of her initial crankiness.  “Good morning, Dre.”

 

“Good morning, gorgeous.”  B’Elanna’s sleepy brown eyes met Dreya's and could almost see a storm of thoughts in her eyes.  B’Elanna drew circles around the blonde’s belly button with her thumb.

 

“Regrets?” B'Elanna asked.  Dreya shook her head and turned to kiss the brunette.

 

“No!  Last night was absolutely amazing.  I just realized that this is the third time I've woken up to you in bed and I like it,” Dreya admitted shyly.  A smile lit up B’Elanna’s face.

 

“Good.”  B’Elanna gave Dreya another kiss.  “Because I'm a big fan of morning sex.”  B’Elanna then pulled Dreya on top of her, causing the blonde to squeal in surprised delight as the Chief’s morning wood pressed up against her entrance.

 

____________________

 

**Part III:  Klingon Courtship**

 

[I.  Janeway’s Attack Dogs]

 

The ship was under attack by a race of fifty aggressively cunning humanoids who had somehow managed to sneak on board to steal _Voyager_ ’s navigational technology.   _Voyager_ fought back quickly and cut them down.  There were currently only six of them left on board to contend with;  Those six were busy in Engineering attempting to wreak havoc on B’Elanna’s perfectly tuned warp core.  The hybrids had been sparring in the holodeck when the alert came through and they burst into Engineering like attack dogs let loose, back to back in full Klingon armor, armed with their bat’leths and a heavy dose of Klingon battle lust.  The Captain’s orders were ‘aim to kill’ (Janeway’s diplomacy apparently hadn't worked on them and the Captain had no time or patience to continue that tactic), and the warriors wasted no time in dispatching the poorly armed intruders in rapid succession.  As Dreya signalled the ‘all clear’ to the bridge, the hybrids could finally relax.  Dreya held her arms out and B’Elanna slid into Dreya’s welcoming embrace, relishing in the feeling of safety and satisfaction as Dreya kissed her forehead ridges.

 

[II.  Jeffries Tube 39-Bravo]

 

To say that B’Elanna and Dreya had lost track of time would be a terrible understatement.  The two had been in Jeffries tube 39-Bravo to do a quick ten minute check of some conduits.  Working close together in the confined space had made it difficult for Dreya to not steal a kiss from her girlfriend;  The passion that flowed between the women was strong and the conduits were long forgotten as their urges took over their senses.  They were brought back to reality forty five minutes later, when the entry panel was ripped off of the wall, causing the kiss they were engaged in to be halted with an audible grunt from B’Elanna and a groan from Dreya.  An irritated Captain Janeway stood there expectantly, with her hands on her hips, and the two younger women had the grace to blush down to their forehead ridges and zip their uniform jackets back up.  Apparently B’Elanna disabling their com badges was a terrible idea that was made worse when the Captain herself tracked them down with Tuvok and a security detail.  Ten minutes later the hybrids stood in Janeway’s office while their commanding officer reamed them out for quite a while about using more discretion while on duty.  

 

[III.  Rose on the Gray]

 

B’Elanna groaned when Vorik had brought four more PADDs into her office and deposited them on her desk next to the stack of thirty three other PADDs the Chief had to review and sign.   It was well into beta shift and B’Elanna was tired, hungry, and agitated.  All these reports would take at least two more hours to go through and she just wanted to curl up with Dreya and forget about these dumbass EPS relays.  She set the PADD that she had just finished approving down and rubbed at her forehead ridges in fatigue, her eyes closed and her shoulders tense.  A moment later, she opened her eyes when the smell of food permeated her senses.

 

“Hi, Chief,”  Dreya called out with a smile, standing in the doorway to B’Elanna’s office with a plate of burgers and fries in her hands.  “I brought dinner.”  B’Elanna gave her girlfriend a tired yet grateful smile and cleared some of the finished PADDs out of the way.  Dreya sat the loaded plate down between them on the desk and sat in the chair across from B’Elanna.  The Chief leaned forward to place a sweet kiss on Dreya's lips.

 

“You have no idea how fucking awesome you are.  I'm starving!”  B’Elanna swiped up a few fries and hungrily shoved them in her mouth.  Dreya smirked and produced a single red rose from behind her back and presented it to B’Elanna.  B’Elanna took the rose with a shy smile and smelled its pleasant scent before setting it down on the desk.  “Thank you, babe.  You're so good to me.  No one has ever given me a rose before.”  

 

“You deserve nothing less than to be adored,cared for, and worshipped like the Goddess you are,”  Dreya answered, grabbing a burger and taking a bite.  B’Elanna picked up her own burger and took a bite.

 

“Well, I'm not sure what I did to deserve such a romantic girlfriend, but you are the best.”  Dreya leaned in again to steal another kiss.

 

“You stuck around and waited for me when I was being a dumbass,”  Dreya replied, grabbing a handful of fries.  

 

“You were being honorable and considerate.  I know damn well that you could have easily carried me to bed the first time we kissed and we could have had regrettable drunken sex.  I wouldn't have even stopped you, because I wanted you and needed you.  But you made me wait so that it could be special, and it just made me fall deeper for you.”

 

“I never would have been able to look at myself in the mirror if I had slept with you that night.  I would have felt like I had raped you or something,”  Dreya replied with a shrug.  “You couldn't consent properly with as drunk as you were, and neither could I.  I could never do that.”  B’Elanna gave her a smile that was full of awe.

 

“You’re simply amazing, Andrea Thomas.  You were worth waiting for, sweetheart.”

 

[IV.  Champion Decathlete]

 

As the cardio runner beeped at B’Elanna, signalling that her warm up period was over, she looked over to her left where Dreya was astride her own runner.  Their tanktops were soaked with sweat from working out the past hour with heavy weights, but their exhaustion was forgotten as Dreya gave B’Elanna a smirk and started a running pace that was exceedingly fast.  Dreya knew her girlfriend would accept this unspoken physical challenge and was not surprised to hear B’Elanna’s boots stomping hard and fast, matching her pace.  B’Elanna then gave her a feral grin and turned her pacing up even higher.  B’Elanna was a champion decathlete at Starfleet Academy, after all.

 

[V.  Public Knowledge]

 

As the first month of their relationship progressed, the hybrids worked to find a balance between duty and off-duty.  They addressed each other as ‘Lieutenant’ and ‘Chief’ while on duty and were careful to maintain professional and appropriate since Janeway busted them in the Jeffries tube making out like a bunch of horny teenagers.  Off-duty they were always together and very much a couple;  They took some of their meals together in the mess hall and walked the corridors with joined hands.  They attended social events together and had started hosting “poker night”.  Dreya slept in B’Elanna’s quarters nearly every night since the Chief had bigger quarters and often made them dinner while B’Elanna finished up engineering reports.  Harry affectionately teased them about being “all old and married”, which typically earned him dual jabs to his chest or arms from the blushing halflings.

 

[VI.  Deck 9, Section 12]

 

B’Elanna made herself comfortable in Dreya's bedroom and sat on her bed.  She was bored and hoped her lover wouldn't mind her snooping through Dreya’s nightstand while she showered.  With a gasp of surprise, she found a familiar looking high tech prosthetic cock when she opened the drawer.  B’Elanna knew that this particular one allowed the wearer to feel how it felt inside their lover; One of her flings had used one on her before.  She picked it up and ran her hand along it, excitement building at the mental images she was bidden of Dreya wearing it.  She examined the girth and length of it and appreciated that it was appropriately sized for Dreya.  It was turning her on to imagine what it would feel like for Dreya to use it on her and for her to use it on Dreya.  She laid back in the bed and moaned as her eyes closed and her right hand slipped underneath the waistband of Dreya’s red plaid boxers she was wearing.  B’Elanna took her now hard clit in her fingers and began lazily stroking herself. She had been jerking off for a few minutes, the prosthetic still clutched in her left fist, when a voice rang out.

 

“I've been working up the courage to show you that.”  Dreya was standing in the doorway of the en suite in just a towel, her hair still damp.  B’Elanna jolted upright, hastily removing her hand from under the boxers with a guilty look on her flushed face.  “Looks like I was worried for nothing.”

 

“I-- I'm sorry!  I just got so turned on when I found it-- ,”  B’Elanna mumbled.  Dreya began walking towards the bed with an amused smirk.

 

“Yeah, I can see that.  So, you like my cock, babe?”  She approached the bed, reaching out and taking the phallus from B’Elanna.  The brunette had recovered from the embarrassment of being caught masturbating and nodded confidently.  Dreya let the towel drop to the floor and ran her hand down the length of the prosthetic as she stood there naked.  “Do you want me to use it on you?”  Another nod.  Dreya affixed the object of interest to her crotch with its built-in integumentary suction technology and climbed up on the bed.  B’Elanna reached out and stroked the cock while Dreya pulled the boxers off of her.  The Chief’s legs eagerly spread for her and Dreya’s hand dipped between her legs, lightly scratching her nails along the flesh of her inner thighs towards her center.  B’Elanna’s pleasure climbed as Dreya stroked her clit and along her slit with her fingers while she licked and nipped at her dark nipples for several minutes.  Dreya then used the copious moisture from B’Elanna’s folds to push two fingers inside her and stroke her G spot over and over.  B’Elanna arched up hard and let out a strained cry.

 

“You make me so wet,”  B’Elanna breathlessly murmured.  “I want you inside of me, now.”  Dreya shifted into position to mount her.  She rubbed B’Elanna’s long clit between her thumb and index finger as she slowly pushed the cock into her folds, burying it to the hilt and letting B’Elanna acclimate to being filled.  B'Elanna cried out as it reached all the way to her cervix and Dreya nearly fainted in pleasure as the brunette took every inch into her tight walls.  Dreya collected herself and started pumping in and out of B’Elanna, the brunette’s breaths now deep pants of ecstasy.

 

“Fuck, you feel so good.”  Dreya moaned as she kissed along B’Elanna’s throat, her wet hair cold against B’Elanna’s hot skin.  Dreya then thrust the prosthetic into her hard and B’Elanna’s upper body suddenly sprang up; her head was thrown back and her mouth was open in ecstasy.  Dreya's fingers found B’Elanna’s clit again and stroked her as she pumped hard and fast.

 

“Dreya--  I'm gonna c--,” began B’Elanna, but she exhaled sharply and her darker arm snaked around and clawed at Dreya’s back, drawing blood and causing the fairer woman to buck harder against her in response and moan her own imminent orgasm.  It wasn't long before the entirety of Deck 9, Section 12 heard the Klingons howl their simultaneous release.

 

[VII.  Don’t Ever Let Go]

 

Dreya looked up from the PADD she was reading as she felt B’Elanna shift on the couch next to her.  She raised an eyebrow at B’Elanna, who was looking at her with a glazed look.

 

“What are you thinking about beautiful?”  Dreya asked, putting the PADD down.  The smaller woman was silent for a few beats before she reached for one of Dreya's hands.

 

“I love you, Dre,” B’Elanna simply declared, the words thick in her throat.  This was the first time she had told Dreya she loved her.  “I think I have since the night my Klingon half died and you took care of me when I was at my weakest.”  The declaration had taken Dreya by surprise, but she smiled warmly and wrapped her arms around B’Elanna as she buried her face in B’Elanna’s hair.  

 

“I love you too, Lanna.  I fell in love with you the day we took the Flyer out for its first flight.  When I took you into my arms and hugged you, I never wanted to let you go.”  B’Elanna snuggled deeper into the blonde.

 

“Don't ever let go,” B'Elanna replied.

 

[VIII.  Bar Room Brawl]

 

B’Elanna jumped up from the brig’s cot and started pacing alongside her girlfriend again.  What had begun as a fun night out for the women had ended up as a bar room brawl in holodeck two that left B’Elanna with a busted lip and Dreya spattered in Jeff Hayes’ blood. The Gamma shift Ensign from security had apparently taken offense to the Lieutenants publically recognizing their relationship by stealing a few kisses, holding hands, and slinging arms around waists and shoulders.  The unwise Ensign had made his distaste loudly known and the hybrids were unable to contain themselves.  The unlucky Ensign found himself quickly surrounded by B’Elanna and Dreya, being stalked like prey and quickly taken down in a fury of growls and snarls.  B’Elanna and Dreya were eventually pulled off of the Ensign by Tuvok and Vorik (the Vulcans were the only ones strong enough to deal with the angry women at the moment) and dragged off to the brig kicking (Dreya) and spitting Klingon curses (B’Elanna).  

 

[IX.  Unacceptable Behavior]

 

When the Captain came into the brig, angrier than they had yet ever seen her, the Klingons slunk back as far as possible while Janeway just glared at them.

 

“Captain, that _baktag_ \-- ,” Dreya began to explain, but she was silenced by Janeway’s hand flying up to mute her.

 

“Silence!  I did NOT ask for you to speak!”  The hybrids immediately snapped to attention, wide-eyed, while Janeway continued on.  “The two of you will be spending the next forty eight hours in here to cool your heads.  It took The Doctor _two hours_ to patch Ensign Hayes up.”  B’Elanna dared to smirk and Dreya swallowed down a snort of laughter.  Janeway narrowed her eyes at them and they quieted.  

 

“Commander Chakotay will release you in two days, where you will then report to my ready room and explain your unacceptable behavior.”  The Captain regarded them for a few seconds each before she turned heel and left, leaving the hybrids to sigh and sit heavily on their cots.

 

[X.  Dishonor and Broken Bones]

 

Dreya and B’Elanna were seated across from the Captain in her ready room at 0600, after being brought here from the brig by Chakotay.  Janeway took a long drink of her coffee before addressing the two women with a sigh.

 

“Lieutenants, I want an explanation for your behavior on the holodeck the other night,” Janeway demanded, looking back and forth between the two.  Neither could look their Captain in the eye, but Dreya began to speak, her gaze fixed on the desk in front of her.

 

“Captain, Ensign Hayes goaded us.  He publicly, and loudly, demeaned us and our relationship.  I won't even repeat the things he said and called us.”  She explained further, hoping that their Captain would be understanding.  “He dishonored us.  We lost control.  Sorry.”  B’Elanna nodded in mute agreement with Dreya’s summary and the Captain leaned back a bit in her chair.

 

“He _dishonored_ you?  Please don’t think that I approve of his behavior or that I want to demean your Klingon sense of honor, but ladies, you broke four bones in his face and two in his arm.  What else was I supposed to do?”  The hybrids didn’t have an answer for her.  “B’Elanna, Dreya, look at me.”  Green and brown eyes looked up from the desk and met slate blue.  “The next time anyone, regardless of their position or rank, dishonors you like Ensign Hayes did I want you to come to me first and I will deal with them.  No more fighting on my holodeck.  Are we clear?”

 

“Yes, Captain,” the hybrids chorused.    

 

“Good.  Dismissed, Lieutenants.  Eat, clean up, and report for your shifts at 0700.”  She waved them off towards the door and the women left in a hurry.  Janeway trusted that the duo would behave, at least for now.  She was in tune with reality enough to know that these two would no doubt end up right back here again at some point, explaining their involvement in some altercation or another.  Dreya was intimidating and strong, but also very caring, gentle, and even tempered.  B’Elanna was hot-headed, impulsive, stubborn, and prone to fits of aggravation that usually featured obscenities in a few different languages.  They were fire and ice, Dreya usually able to cool down B’Elanna’s flares before she combusted.  Janeway pitied anyone dumb enough to ignite the rage in both of them at the same time as Ensign Hayes had;  The halflings were proud warriors and would not take dishonor without a fight.  

 

Captain Janeway leaned back and rubbed at her temples, trying to stave off the headache that was forming way too early in the day.  

 

[XI.  Late for Duty]

 

Dreya woke up in B’Elanna’s bed to find her lover’s side of the bed empty but still warm.  She then heard the hydro shower turn on in the en suite and a smile formed on her lips.  She waited a few calculated minutes before she got up and padded into the bathroom, still unabashedly naked from making love last night.  She knew the smaller woman heard her enter, even though she didn’t turn around.  Dreya took her time in getting into the shower and wrapping her arms around B’Elanna’s naked and wet form from behind.  

 

“Good morning _mi amor,_ I was going to let you sleep in since you're off today.”  Dreya nuzzled her neck and B’Elanna turned into her lover’s embrace with a smile before kissing her gently, yet persistently.  

 

“You're gonna be late.”  B’Elanna kept kissing her while tardiness stood forgotten and the hot water poured over them;  Dreya growled and picked B’Elanna up quickly, pressing her against the tiled side wall of the shower with her pelvis.  B’Elanna wrapped her legs around the other’s waist and threw her head back with a moan, grabbing on to Dreya’s strong back for support as the taller woman kissed down her neck.

 

[XII.  Didn’t See It Coming]

 

Dreya didn't even see it coming.  She didn't hear him creeping behind her as she left engineering alone and he followed her to the dark and unoccupied cargo bays.  She hadn't noticed that he silently slid in behind her before the doors closed, stealthily advancing upon her.  A blade stabbed her in the back four times in rapid succession, dropping the strong blonde to the ground.  She was then rolled over roughly, her assailant now hovering over her.

 

“How's it feel, bitch?” Ensign Hayes asked, kicking her in the ribs.  Dreya gurgled blood and struggled to breathe;  Both of her lungs had been punctured and her vision was starting to tunnel.  “See, we're going to have some fun, _Lieutenant_.  I'm going to show you what you've been missing, fucking that other Klingon skank.”  Hayes then threw the knife down and started unzipping his pants, exposing his erect cock to Dreya.  After his pants dropped to his ankles and he kicked them off, he sat on top of Dreya's legs and ripped open her jacket.  A moment later he tore through her tank.  Dreya tried to fight back, but she was quickly losing blood and her pulse was weak and thready.  The Ensign had then unzipped Dreya's pants and pushed them down with her boxers.

 

“Oh!  A true blonde!”  He had a sick grin on his face as he ogled Dreya’s battered body.  “What the hell?”  He had paused at Dreya’s cock-like clitoris and blinked.  The ignorant man had obviously not seen a Klingon woman's genitals before.  As he let his attention lapse for just those few seconds, Jeff Hayes never saw it coming when Dreya reached up and grabbed his head.  With her last reserve of strength, she quickly twisted hard and heard his neck snap;  He slumped next to her, dead.

 

“Fuck you,” she weakly spat out, before she lost consciousness in a pool of her own blood.

 

[XIII.  The Captain in Her Corner]

 

Dreya was slowly drifting back into consciousness as someone was calling out to her.  The pain in her back was disorienting and she could taste bile in her throat.

 

“Andrea, can you hear me?” the female voice asked.  Dreya fleetingly wondered if it was her mother;  Mom was the only one who called her Andrea.  A small hand grabbed hers and she was able to squeeze it lightly.  “Dreya, open your eyes, honey.”  Her eyes obeyed of their own accord and she blinked at the brightness of the room.  Sick bay.  She was in sick bay and it was the Captain that was holding her hand.

 

“Captain?”  Her throat was raw and it was hard to speak.  She closed her eyes again and tried to swallow.  The Captain put a straw to her lips and she drank the cool water.  “What happened?”

 

“You were attacked, Dreya.  You've been in a coma for the last twelve days.”  It only took a few seconds for Dreya's memory to resurface of what happened in the cargo bay.

 

“Hayes.  Oh no.  No.  No, no, no!”  A panicked surge of adrenaline had Dreya bolting upright and looking around the room in alarm.  Janeway clutched onto Dreya's arms and guided her back down on the bed with little resistance.

 

“Shhh, it's ok honey.  He's--  He's gone, Dreya.  It's over,” Janeway cooed, brushing hair off of her forehead ridges.

 

“What have I done?”  The Lieutenant spoke in a small, childlike voice that broke the older woman's heart.  “I killed him, didn't I?”  The Captain let out a sad sigh and took both of Dreya's hands in hers.

 

“I ruled it as self defense and have officially noted it as such.  You did what you had to, sweetheart.  I watched the security footage in the cargo bay.  It was damn hard to watch that happen to you.”  Dreya turned her eyes away.  She couldn't look at Janeway, now that she knew her shame.  “It was so vile that I didn't let anyone else watch it.  Not even B’Elanna.  I've kept this private, so that you can decide if you want to tell people about it.”  At the mention of her lover, Dreya's eyes flew open.

 

“Oh shit.  B’Elanna,” she murmured, turning back to look at the Captain.  “Where is she?  Can I see her?”  The Captain smiled down at her.  

 

“She's taking a little Doctor induced nap in her quarters.”  Dreya blinked in confusion and the Captain then turned serious, trying to keep her emotions in check as she prepared to tell her young charge the rest of the story.  “Dreya, I won't lie to you.  You lost _a lot_ of blood when you were stabbed.  You had to be connected to a breathing machine for eight days.  Your lungs and your spleen were punctured.   You had five hours of emergency surgery to have your spleen removed and your lungs repaired.  You almost didn't make it, because you needed blood and The Doctor couldn't synthesize any.  B’Elanna was the only person who could donate blood to you due to your similar genetics.  She gave so much blood that it's made her a bit drained.   She's perfectly fine though, sweetie.  The Doctor knocked her out for a while so she can sleep and regenerate her own blood.  She wants you to know that she's OK and she's sorry she wasn't here when you woke up.”  Dreya had listened and tried to take it all in, more and more dumbfounded.  Then she asked the question she already knew the answer to.

 

“She was the one who found me, wasn't she?”  Janeway nodded and Dreya heaved a grim sigh.

 

“She tracked you down to the cargo bay when you didn't show up for dinner and didn't answer your com badge.  When she found you and Ensign Hayes, she froze.  I saw the horror on her face when I watched the video feed.  She was so relieved when she got to you and realized you still had a pulse.  After she checked Ensign Hayes and saw he was dead, she covered you up in her jacket, picked you up, and transported you to sick bay.”

 

“She was the absolute last person I wanted to see me like that,” Dreya said, morosely.  “She saw me weak and dying and saved my life.  If he had gotten to actually raping me like he planned, I don't think--”

 

“Dreya, that woman loves you,” Janeway interrupted.  “She's spent every day here, giving blood and being by your side.  She raged.  She cried.  She never left you alone in the evenings.  She even insisted that she be the only one to bathe you.”  Dreya brought her hands to her face.

 

“I don't deserve her, Captain.”  Captain Janeway smoothed out Dreya's blonde locks and smiled.   

 

“Oh, Dreya.  I've never seen two people who deserved each other more.”

 

[XIV.  A Familiar Smell]

 

It was the familiar smell of her lover that woke Dreya up as she slept on the bio bed;  She was already smiling before she opened her eyes.  When she did open them, she found B’Elanna had sat next to the bed and laid her head next to Dreya's shoulder on the bed.  It was the middle of the night and B’Elanna had dozed off, her dark hair spread across the sheet.

 

“Hey, babe.”  B’Elanna shot awake with a grunt, blinking sleepily and still looking a little gaunt from giving up so much blood.  When she saw Dreya grinning at her, she perked up and her face was alight in joy.  She leaned in and gave Dreya a gentle kiss.

 

“You have no idea how happy I am to see you awake!”  B’Elanna took Dreya's hand and gave it a light squeeze which Dreya was able to weakly return.  

 

“You have no idea how grateful I am that you saved my life,” Dreya replied solemnly.  B’Elanna took Dreya's hand she was holding and kissed it.

 

“And I'd do it again if I had to.  There was no way I was going to lose you if I could help it.”  Dreya was thoughtfully silent for a minute before she spoke again.

 

“The Captain told me that you were the one who found me in the cargo bay.  I'm sorry you had to see me like that.”

 

“Well I'm _not_ sorry that I found you.  I'm not sorry that you killed that psychotic fuck, either.  I’m just sorry I didn't kill him before you did,” B’Elanna replied, her eyes hard and steeled.  She then took a long breath and began to speak again.  “When I saw you laying in blood, your pants down, and him next to you with his cock out and dead, I assumed the worst.  I was horrified at what I thought he’d done to you.  Once I got you to sick bay, I wouldn’t even let The Doctor be alone with you.”

 

“He never got the chance to do-- that.  I killed him right before.”  Dreya looked away in shame.  Shame wasn’t a feeling Dreya was used to feeling, but she was feeling it in abundance now.  The worse part was that she couldn’t even ascertain what she was most ashamed of:  Being caught off guard and stabbed, being nearly raped, killing her assailant, or B’Elanna being the one to find her dying.  B’Elanna’s hand came up and wiped away a tear that Dreya hadn’t noticed escaping her eye.

 

“Oh, babe, I know.  I know he didn’t.  The security footage apparently showed as much but the Captain insisted that the Doctor still examine you, since you couldn't tell us yourself.”  Dreya now looked straight up at the ceiling.  She felt sick to think that there was a rape kit with her name on it.  “I was so ill just thinking about Ensign Hayes violating you, that I couldn’t stand to be in the room when The Doctor examined you.  The Captain stayed in the room with you instead.”  A few more tears ran down Dreya’s face and B’Elanna wiped those away as well.

 

“I love you so much, Lanna.  I owe my life to you and I can’t thank you enough for being so amazing and taking care of me.”  Dreya reached out to gently stroke B’Elanna’s cheek.   B’Elanna stood and placed her forehead ridges to Dreya's.  

 

“You surviving and being here alive with me is thanks enough, _bangwI’,_ ”  B’Elanna replied, giving her another soft kiss.  

 

[XV.  Bad 21st Century Movie Plot]

 

Dreya was bored in the sick bay but couldn't leave for two more days.  With B’Elanna on duty in Engineering during alpha shift, Dreya had The Doctor for company frequently and he was driving her crazy.  She would never complain though;  He did save her life, after all.  After almost three weeks here, she was able to eat, get around, and the pain was lessening each day.  A few days ago, The Doctor had finally allowed her to have visitors besides The Captain and B’Elanna, who were there everyday.  She had been visited by Neelix, Chakotay, Nicoletti, and even Tuvok.  Harry had been her first visitor, though.  He came bounding into sick bay and over to where Dreya was sitting with a grin.

 

“Dreya Thomas, ladies and gentlemen!  How are you feeling, Lieutenant Slacker?”  Harry inquired, giving her a hug as she stood.  “Your helm misses you.  Hell, _I've_ missed you.”  Dreya smiled widely at her ‘little brother’.  She had missed him too.

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.  Getting stabbed in the back four times and almost dying isn't an ideal way of getting a month off of work,” Dreya rejoined with an eyeroll, a smirk playing on her face.  Harry's face then lost all its joking warmth and turned shocked.

 

“ _Stabbed_?  Are you serious?”  Dreya sighed and nodded as she sat back down.  The Captain had warned her that it might be a shock to people to know the exact circumstances if Dreya chose to tell them.  “All we were told was that you were badly injured and would be gone for a while.  Not even B’Elanna would say anything.”  Dreya eyed him for a long moment, struggling with how much to tell him.  She was anxious about retelling the story again, but Harry was family and deserved no less than full disclosure.  

 

“Do you remember the incident with Jeff Hayes?  When B’Elanna and I were in the brig for two days?”  Harry nodded and leaned against the nearby bio bed.  “Well, he didn't forget either.  He followed me to the cargo bays when I was alone, snuck up on me, and stabbed me.  He then ripped my clothes off and almost raped me while I was bleeding out and too weak to fight.”  Harry's eyes got wide.

 

“Almost _raped_ you?”  Harry was shocked beyond many more words than that at the moment.

 

“ _Almost_.  I used the last of my strength and snapped his neck while he was distracted.  I killed him right before he was going to literally rape me to death,” Dreya answered, sounding rather detached.  Harry's jaw had dropped and Dreya could see the questions in his eyes that he would never ask.  She tried hard to not look away, to not be ashamed.  “I passed out after that and woke up in sick bay twelve days later, minus a spleen and full of B’Elanna’s donated blood.  If she hadn't given me blood, I wouldn't be here.”  Harry had been shocked into a short silence and was visibly struggling with his emotions and how to process this.

 

“Kahless, Dreya.  I don't even know what to say,” Harry softly said after a minute, running a hand through his black hair.  “I guess I can only say that you're lucky.”  Dreya's eyebrows arched up;  The last thing she would consider herself would be lucky.  Harry then plastered a mischievous smirk on his face.  “I mean, your girlfriend saved your life and I can't even get a date.”  They both started laughing and Dreya clapped Harry on the shoulder.

 

“I was saved by a feisty little knight in shiny Klingon armor.”  They shared a look that sent them into harder fits of laughter, causing an exasperated Doctor to come over and shoo Harry out, lecturing the Ensign about overtaxing his patient.

 

[XVI.  Welcome Home]

 

The Doctor had finally, after twenty seven days total in sick bay, released Dreya to her quarters under B’Elanna’s care.  Dreya entered her quarters for the first time in almost a month, hand in hand with B’Elanna, and looked around.  Nothing had been disturbed in her absence;  Even the coffee cup she had used the morning of her attack still sat on the dining table exactly where she had put it.

 

“I couldn't bring myself to come in here.  If you didn't return, I couldn't bear to pack up another lover's belongings.”  B’Elanna’s words cut through Dreya, her brown eyes showing a bone deep weariness that the engineer had no doubt carried on her shoulders the past twenty seven days.  Dreya pulled her lover closely to her and wrapped her up in a loving embrace.  

 

“I’m so sorry, honey.  I can’t even imagine how hard this was on you.  How strong you had to be for both of us.”  Dreya felt the smaller woman sigh as she held her.

 

“The worst part was the silence.  I could hold your hand and talk to you while you were in the coma, but you couldn't talk back.  Your side of the bed was so empty and cold, teasing me because it still smelled of you.”  Dreya looked down at her and smiled, despite the somber mood.

 

“My side of the bed?  I didn’t even know I owned a piece of it,”  Dreya teased, leaving a kiss on B’Elanna’s forehead.  B’Elanna tilted her head up to Dreya with a small smile, falling under the spell of her humor for a quick moment.  

 

“You know, actually, I kind of wanted to talk to you about that,” B’Elanna said, losing her smile and drawing in a breath.  Dreya actually became a little worried, as she couldn’t ‘read’ B’Elanna’s emotions or intentions like she usually could.  She had no idea what her lover specifically meant, but she gave B’Elanna an inquisitive raise of her eyebrow.  “About us.”  Dreya was positively alarmed now.  This didn’t feel right.

 

“You wanna elaborate on that?” Dreya interjected, a worried frown on her face.  B’Elanna looked away briefly before looking back into Dreya’s eyes.

 

“I want you to move in with me.”  Dreya nearly started hysterically laughing in relief at the benignity of what B’Elanna asked her.  She instead picked the engineer up and spun her around the room, drawing a laugh of mirth from B’Elanna.  When she put B’Elanna down, she reached out a hand and ran her thumb over the brunette’s ridges.

 

“Yes, baby, of course,” Dreya answered, and B’Elanna lit up in a huge smile, her shoulders sagging in relief.

 

“Kahless, I was so scared to ask you.  Especially after everything you’ve been through this past month.”

 

“B’Elanna, honey, did you honestly think I’d say no? _BangwI_ ’, there’s no where else I feel right than with you.”  Dreya took B’Elanna’s hand and put it over her heart so the Chief could feel her heart beat.  “My heart beats because of your blood running through my veins.  I can’t even express the words to say how much I love you.”

 

“You make this so easy,” B’Elanna replied with a smirk, craning her head up to kiss Dreya.  “Becoming friends, becoming lovers, falling in love.  It’s never been this easy.”  Dreya’s lips met hers again and she could feel the other woman smiling on her lips.

 

“It’s probably not supposed to be, babe.  I’d like to chalk it up to the thought that we just simply belong together.  I have a part of you inside of me that's keeping me alive, and I feel you in every pulse.”  B’Elanna kissed her again, the kiss deepening over a few minutes.  With a lusty growl, Dreya grabbed B’Elanna’s firm ass and picked her up.  With a growl of her own, the Chief wrapped her legs around Dreya’s waist.  She absolutely loved that Dreya was strong enough to do that.  “Mmm, I can name another part of you I’d like to have inside of me.”

 

“Well, it has been twenty eight days since I made love to you.  I’d say you better take me to bed and rectify this problem,” B’Elanna responded, her eyes heavily lidded in desire.  Dreya didn’t need any further incentive and she found her lover’s mouth again as she carried her back into the bedroom.      

 

[XVII.  Back to the Grind]

 

Dreya stood in the en suite and looked at herself in the mirror.  She grimaced at the figure that reflected back at her;  She had lost weight and her uniform was baggy.  It had been a month since she donned her command red uniform but now that she had it back on she felt a bit more at ease, like it was a shield from the questions and looks she’d be getting today.  She had zoned out in her own thoughts when strong arms encircled her waist from behind.

 

“Oh, look at my sexy Lieutenant in her uniform!  You ready to get back at the helm?”  Dreya smiled at her through their reflections in the mirror.  B’Elanna already had her mustard yellow uniform on and had put an adorable little braid in her hair.  The Helmsman turned around and quickly captured B’Elanna’s lips with her own for a quick moment.  

 

“I’m ready to get back at the helm, for sure.  I’m just not ready to endure the rest of the crew yet.  Kahless, B’Elanna, they’ll all want to ask so many questions.”  B’Elanna grabbed Dreya’s hand and brought it up to kiss her knuckles.  

 

“You don’t owe them anything, Dre.  If you don’t want to tell them anything, don’t,” B’Elanna advised, now giving her hand a squeeze.  “However, I think you’ll find that the crew adores you and has been very worried about you.  They’ve missed you.  Of course they’ll be curious and want to know if you’re OK.”  Dreya’s lips pursed in thought and she nodded, earning a smile from B’Elanna.  “Come on, babe, let’s go get breakfast.”  Dreya let B’Elanna lead her to the turbolift by the hand.  When the doors hissed open on the mess hall level, Dreya felt a surge of apprehension as they approached the mess hall entrance.  Her lover sensed this and squeezed her hand again in support.  With a deep breath, Dreya followed B’Elanna through the doors.  As they entered, all talking ceased and everyone turned to the door.  Dreya stood ramrod straight, her panic levels going through the roof.  “It’s OK,” B’Elanna assured her in a quiet voice, as everyone in the mess hall got to their feet and started clapping, smiles on every one of their faces.  

 

“Wow,” Dreya breathed, a overwhelmed smile on her own face.  She offered the room a little bow and looked down to the other hybrid for reassurance.  With an answering smile, B’Elanna rubbed her hand up and down Dreya’s back to soothe her and after a minute everyone eased their clapping and sat back down to their conversations.

 

“Welcome back to the grind, babe.  I suspect that will be the extent of accolades and sympathy you’ll receive from this crew,” B’Elanna joked.  “They wouldn’t want the big bad tattooed Klingon going all soft, would they?”  Dreya gave B’Elanna her best impression of a ‘Janeway Death Glare’, which caused them both to start laughing.  B’Elanna then placed her palm on Dreya’s lower back and started leading her towards the food line.  “Come on, let’s eat.  I don’t know about you, but this Klingon is hungry.”    

 

[XVIII.  Application For Shared Quarters]

 

B'Elanna and Dreya stood before Captain Janeway’s desk at full Starfleet attention;  The normally tough duo looked nervous as the Captain put the PADD she was reading down on the desk in front of the younger women and motioned to it.

 

“You two are _sure_ about this?”  The hybrids broke attention and made eye contact with each other briefly.

 

“Yes, Captain,”  Dreya answered, a smile creeping on her mouth.

 

“Absolutely, Captain.”  B’Elanna wasn't even trying to control her smile.  “I almost lost her.  I need to keep her close.”  Janeway stood there and observed them for a silent moment, before a smile appeared on her own face.  She picked up the PADD and handed it to B’Elanna.

 

“Application for shared quarters is _approved_ , Lieutenants.”  

 

[XIX.  Music Only They Could Hear]

 

Dreya and B’Elanna stood in the living room of their new shared quarters and looked around.  They had already moved their belongings from their separate quarters in and two bat’leths now hung proudly in prominent display on the wall in front of them.  Dreya slipped an arm around her girlfriend and pulled her close, burying her nose in B’Elanna’s dark hair and breathing in her lover’s scent.  B’Elanna smiled up to the taller woman and her eight chambered heart beat faster, leaving her wondering if it was possible to be any more in love with the other hybrid.  Dreya pulled her fully into her embrace and B’Elanna laid her forehead on Dreya’s chest, where the blonde’s own eight chambered heart hammered back.  They stood there like that for a while, swaying back and forth in a dance that was fueled on by music only they could hear.   

 

[XX.  Raw Klingon Passion]

 

Dreya had waved to Carey and Nicoletti as she stopped by B’Elanna’s office in engineering to make plans for dinner.  A short time later the two engineers stood cautiously outside the closed door of the Chief’s office as crashes, bangs, and growls came from the other side.

 

“Should we call security?”  Nicoletti regarded the question for a moment before she heard someone moan with pleasure in the office.  Her eyebrows shot up in amusement.

 

“You know what Carey, I think they’re just fine in there,”  Nicoletti answered, and they walked away from the scene with Nicoletti muttering about ‘lucky Chiefs’.  To say the least, things had quickly gotten carried away in the office as raw Klingon passion had surfaced.  The door to B’Elanna’s office opened later to reveal that the couch had been destroyed, a Dreya-sized dent was found in a bulkhead, and a chunk of B’Elanna’s desk was now missing.  The smaller women had been suddenly overcome when Dreya had kissed her and her Klingon libido dominated as the Chief had taken her roughly all over her office.  B’Elanna had left a deep bite on Dreya’s shoulder and B’Elanna’s back was covered in angry claw marks but neither had any plans to specify the nature of these medical emergencies to The Doctor.

 

[XXI.  Losing the Delta Flyer]

 

On the bridge, the crew watched in horror as the Delta Flyer was in a terrifying spin, out of control and billowing an alarming amount of smoke.  Tuvok and Neelix had already been beamed out, but B’Elanna’s com badge was malfunctioning, making it hard to get a lock on her.

 

“Chakotay, divert some more power to the transporters.”  Janeway barked out the orders, gripping the sides of her chair tightly.  “Take it from life support and shields if you have to.”  Harry worked with lightning speed at his console, trying in vain to get a lock on B’Elanna to transport her back to _Voyager_.  Suddenly, the harrowing image of the Delta Flyer exploding on the view screen caused both Captain Janeway and Dreya to leap up from their seats.  

 

“No!  B’Elanna!”  Dreya cried, her pained voice a mournful howl that cut through Janeway, propelling the Captain into action.  Janeway ran over to Harry at the OPS station, the unmistakable question in her eyes.

 

“Did you get her, Harry?”  The Captain waited with baited breath until Harry nodded the affirmative that he got B’Elanna out in time.  The Captain slumped in overwhelming relief before she rushed over to Dreya when the Lieutenant fell to her knees, her body wracked in heaving sobs.  The Captain got Dreya standing and started guiding her to the turbolift and on to sick bay to be with B’Elanna.

 

“Come on, Dreya.  It’s ok.  We got her.   _B’Elanna is ok_ ,” Janeway cooed, as she wrapped an arm around the Klingon’s shoulders to steady her.

 

**TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK 2**

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if you liked this embarrassing piece of shit. Book 2 is in the works.


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